China plans to accelerate the availability of tax refund stores for eligible overseas visitors to about 10,000 shops nationwide this year, almost tripling the current number, as the country continues to boost inbound tourism and consumption, a senior official said.

商务部高层官员表示，中国计划加速扩大面向符合条件境外旅客的退税商店覆盖范围，预计今年内将全国范围内的退税商店增至约1万家，这几乎是目前规模的三倍，此举旨在持续提振入境旅游和消费复苏。

By the end of last year, China had more than 3,700 stores nationwide available for tax refunds for overseas visitors, adding more than 600 stores over the previous year, the Ministry of Commerce said.

商务部表示截至去年底，全国已开设可办理境外旅客退税业务的商店逾3700家，较上年新增600余家。

Promoting inbound consumption serves as an important lever to help vigorously boost consumption, and it holds great growth potential. It will also help offset the impact of additional tariffs to a certain extent, said Sheng Qiuping, vice-minister of commerce, during a conference on Thursday in Beijing.

商务部副部长盛秋平周四在北京举行的会议上指出，促进入境消费是大力提振消费的重要支点，这一领域蕴藏着巨大的增长潜力。同时他强调，推动入境消费将在一定程度上对冲加征关税政策带来的影响。

China will continue to optimize the layout of tax refund stores, encourage various regions to set up such stores in major commercial complexes, shopping streets, tourist attractions, resorts, cultural and museum venues, airports, passenger ports, hotels and other places where overseas tourists gather, according to a guideline issued by the Ministry of Commerce and five other departments in late April.

根据商务部等六个部门四月末联合印发的指导意见，我国将持续优化退税商店的布局，鼓励各地在境外游客集中的核心商业区、特色商街、旅游景区、度假区、文博场馆、口岸枢纽、酒店住宿等重点场所增设退税网点。

The country has lowered the starting point for tax refunds from 500 yuan ($69.3) to 200 yuan and doubled the limit for cash refunds from 10,000 yuan to 20,000 yuan.

国家将单笔退税起退门槛从500元（约69.3美元）降至200元，现金退税额上限从1万元提升至2万元。

In addition, the country will relax the registration requirements for retailers to become tax refund stores, allowing newly opened shops that have been established for less than a year to apply to become tax refund shops, and the filing time has been shortened to within five working days, the guideline said.

指导意见特别明确放宽商户准入条件：新设不满一年的店铺可申请成为退税商店，备案流程缩短至5个工作日内。

"Tax refund stores are also encouraged to broaden product offerings to include time-honored brands, renowned Chinese consumer goods, smart devices, intangible cultural heritage items, crafts and specialty products," Sheng said.

盛秋平副部长还表示，将鼓励退税商店丰富商品品类，重点拓展老字号、国潮精品、智能设备、非遗产品、手工艺品及特色商品等多元品类。

Globally, Japan has more than 60,000 stores that are available for tax refunds for overseas visitors, and South Korea has some 20,000 such stores. France, Germany and Italy each have over 10,000 such stores. The number of such stores in China is far from enough, the Ministry of Commerce said.

全球范围内，日本拥有超6万家境外旅客退税商店，韩国约2万家，法德意等国均超1万家。商务部坦言，我国现有退税商店规模与国际水平仍存显著差距。

Last year, total expenditure of inbound tourists in China reached $94.2 billion, accounting for 0.5 percent of China's GDP, which is lower than the proportions of 1 percent to 3 percent for major countries in the world, said the commerce ministry.

商务部数据显示，去年中国入境游客消费总额达942亿美元，占国内生产总值(GDP)的0.5%，这一比例低于全球主要国家1%-3%的占比水平。

"Accelerating the promotion of the tax refund policy will help reduce shopping costs for overseas travelers and inject new impetus to boost consumption. This is an important measure for China to cope with external uncertainties," Sheng said.

商务部副部长盛秋平表示：“加速推进退税政策落地见效，将有效降低境外旅客购物成本，为提振消费注入新动能。这是中国应对外部环境不确定性的重要举措。”

China has been opening its doors wider to international travelers. In 2024, the country expanded its unilateral visa-free policy to include 38 countries, allowing visits of up to 30 days, according to the National Immigration Administration.

中国持续扩大对外开放，国家移民管理局数据显示，2024年我国单方面免签政策覆盖国已扩展至38个，相关国家公民可享受最长30天的免签停留待遇。

Multiple favorable policies have helped significantly boost inbound consumption. During the recent five-day May Day holiday, the country saw the number of inbound and outbound passenger trips of foreign visitors exceed 1.1 million, up 43.1 percent year-on-year, said the National Immigration Administration.

多重利好政策有效激活入境消费市场。国家移民管理局通报称，在刚刚过去的“五一”五天假期期间，全国出入境外籍人员数量突破110万人次，同比大幅增长43.1%。

Shanghai, one of the cities with the highest concentration of foreign tourists, said inbound consumption has become an important lever for it to actively respond to the trade frictions between China and the United States, and promoting inbound consumption will help the city to build itself into an international consumption center.

作为境外游客集聚度最高的城市之一，上海表示发展入境消费已成为其积极应对中美贸易摩擦的重要抓手。该市强调，推动入境消费提质升级将有力支撑其建设国际消费中心城市的战略目标。

inbound tourism

入境游

tax refund

退税

time-honored brands

老字号品牌

visa-free

免签

impetus

/ˈɪmpɪtəs/

n. 动力;推动