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United States to China customs duty calculator

Duty-free allowance, gold, phones, cash and banned items for travellers arriving in China from United States.

✅ Every number is labelled Official, Reported or Estimated, with its source and the date we checked it.

Quick answer

Duty-free allowance in ChinaCN¥5,000 🟣 Reported
Gold jewellerydeclare ≈ Estimated
Mobile phonesallowed ≈ Estimated
Cash & currencydeclare ✅ Official
Alcoholallowed 🟣 Reported

Residents: goods bought abroad up to RMB 5,000 duty-free; duty on the excess.

50 g of 22K gold is worth about CN¥42,857 at today's rate.

Duty-free allowance in China

Residents: goods bought abroad up to RMB 5,000 duty-free; duty on the excess. 🟣 Reported

Postal/baggage tax of about 13–50% by item (20% is typical for general goods). ≈ Estimated

Related guides

⛔ China

  • Narcotics & drugs: Illegal drugs are prohibited in practically every country. Penalties can include long prison sentences or worse.

⚠️

  • Medicines: Personal-use medicines are usually allowed with a prescription. Controlled medicines (strong painkillers, sedatives, ADHD drugs) may need prior approval.
  • Plants, seeds & fruit: Plants, seeds and fresh fruit usually need a phytosanitary certificate. Declare them.
  • Weapons & ammunition: Firearms, ammunition and many knives need an import permit or licence issued in advance.

Leaving United States

  • Report more than US$10,000 in cash when leaving the U.S. ✅ Official

⚖️ If you don't declare

  • Not declaring cash above RMB 20,000 / US$5,000: the excess can be confiscated and fined.
  • Undeclared dutiable goods: duty plus fines; smuggling is a criminal offence.

≈ Estimated

Frequently asked questions

How much can I bring duty-free from United States to China?

CN¥5,000. Residents: goods bought abroad up to RMB 5,000 duty-free; duty on the excess.

Can I carry Gold jewellery from United States to China?

Declare gold/silver over 50 g.

How much cash can I carry to China?

Declare over RMB 20,000 or foreign cash over US$5,000 (keep the form to take it out).

Can I pay customs duty online before travelling to China?

There is no online pre-payment for China at the moment. Declare at the red channel on arrival if you are over the allowance.

Popular routes

Sources

Last checked: 2026-11-09