hello all,

thanks for the great posts. i've been laughing all morning!

so, i may be accepting a position in shanghai. i've checked out some of the posts regarding what and what not to bring. thanks for the tips.

however, haven't seen anything regarding customs and things like shipping clothing, artwork, etc.

am i gonna get hammered on clothing? sorry, don't know what i don't know, and haven't tipped my hat to my current company's shipping guru.

would clothing be something that's just shipped, and not taxed? cheaper to just grab a new wardrobe in china?

what about artwork? i'm a painter too, and have some nice pieces i'd like to bring. they're large, but i can ship them fairly safely. any recommendations?

i know i'll ditch the electronics and furnishings, just had questions regarding "what," exactly gets taxed, and how much.

also, what do folks do with sensitive documents? (i.e. banking, investments, real estate, etc.) hand carry or ship? just curious....

thought i'd ask the experts before bankrupting myself in china with customs and shipping.

thanks as always for the help,

holahan

if you are talking about your own clothes i do see why you should have to pay taxes on it?

imagine tourists that brings 2 suitcases of clothes when they come visit china. i never heard of them paying taxes but we are in china who knows.

for sensitive documents, you might want to carry them with you to be on the safe side.

for the rest, people with experience in that department can help you.
i can only say i brought my own lap top into china 5 years ago and no one cared about it, not taxed on it

welcom here.

Personal Clothing in reasonable amounts. No Problems
(And based on what Mrs P1ATL10 brought over..."reasoanble" is a lot!)

Artwork....I brought about 10 pictures....some quite large....no issues.

Paperwork. Carry it all yourself. Even if it makes the trip, it will be tied up min shipping and Customs for 6-8 weeks.

Welcome!!!

expats,

thanks for the information! it is greatly appreciated. not worried about when the clothing would get there if shipped, just figure i'll get tired of wearing the same outfits to work!

so i'm guessing that items that are shipped, and not subject to customs tax, just involve shipping costs....

yeah, i'll probably have a suitcase full of clothing, and then another with documents and other stuff. figured as much, but it's always nice to check with those who have gone through the routine...

thanks again!

holahan

I just got my container shipment last week. Even though I actually mentioned bringing in a 40" lcd and some other electronical equipment on the customs form, I received no claim. The container came to shanghai on Monday, and was at my home on Thursday.. So it went quite smooth.

On the other side, appearantly the container had probably been damaged and the interior filled with seawater or something. All my clothing were wet and moulded and of course the electronical equipment did not like that enviroment so much either... So now I'm having my fun with the insurance company ..