中國政府提高了海外下單的相關費用，并且開始打擊那些行李箱里滿是奢侈品的走私者，這一連串行動的目的是鼓勵國內消費，同時壓縮購物者用來避稅的灰色市場。

雖然中國消費者占全球奢侈品銷量的三分之一，但真正在中國大陸售出的奢侈品只占五分之一。

其他奢侈品都購自海外——從外國網站訂購，由中國游客買下，或由代購人員攜帶入境。這些代購的行李箱里盡是奢侈品，回國后再當面或經網絡賣給顧客。

這讓中國政府蒙受了稅收損失，也削弱了國內消費，特別是高質量商品的消費。長期以來，中國政府一直想通過刺激消費來擺脫依賴于出口的經濟增長模式。

HIS Global Insight經濟學家XuYating指出：“中國希望把出境購物者吸引回來，同時培育國內奢侈品消費市場，這和發展消費驅動型經濟的目標一致。”

盡管香奈兒等品牌去年下調了中國市場售價，以縮小中國大陸和海外的價差，但在米蘭或巴黎，杜嘉班納最新款手提包等奢侈品的價格仍比中國大陸低一半左右。

一些中國人更愿意出國買奢侈品，還因為他們可以更加確信自己買到了真品，而且可以有比國內更好的選擇，或者享受到更好的服務。

奢侈品公司已經在中國投資設立精品店，但后者有時無所作為，反而可能有損于這些公司的品牌。

咨詢機構貝恩公司提供的數據顯示，去年的情況更糟。該公司發現，雖然中國消費者在日本、歐洲和韓國的購物支出分別增長了251%、31%和33%，但2015年中國大陸的奢侈品消費下降了2%。

ELLE中國編輯副總監Roth Lai本周在巴黎的一個奢侈品大會上說，與之平行的市場，或者說以網購為主的市場正在擠壓實體店。

他指出：“電子商務已經真正成為中國奢侈品市場的主要動力。但我認為，在可預見的一段時間里，中國人仍會出國購物，直到中國的經濟結構發生重大變化。”

為打擊代購，中國政府上周提高了報關申報不實罰金，并加強了海關檢查。在機場，海關人員開始越來越多地關注箱子里滿載奢侈品的中國游客，并對他們征稅。

中國政府還表示，將從4月8日起對通過互聯網進口以及代購人員帶回的商品，提高進口稅。

海外訂購手表的進口關稅將從30%提高到60%，珠寶首飾進口關稅也將從10%升至15%。

法國巴黎銀行證券部門分析師盧卡?索爾卡說：“我們預計中國代購人員和游客的海外購物都會受到影響。”

中國政府還限制了銀聯卡在海外的使用。截至今年1月，每張銀聯卡在海外柜員機上的年取現額度為10萬元（15471.49美元）。（財富中文網）

譯者：Charlie

校對：詹妮

China is raising fees on packages ordered from abroad and cracking down on smugglers who carry in suitcases full of luxury goods, in a concerted effort to encourage shopping at home and squeeze a grey market that shoppers use to avoid tax.

Although Chinese shoppers account for a third of global sales of luxury goods, sales that actually take place in mainland China account for only a fifth.

The rest are purchases made abroad—either ordered from overseas websites, bought by Chinese tourists, or smuggled in by “personal shoppers” known as daigou, who fill suitcases with luxury items and sell them back home in person or online.

That costs the Chinese government tax revenue, and also discourages the domestic consumption sector, particularly for higher quality goods, that Beijing has long been trying to boost to rebalance its economy away from exports.

“China wants to attract the outbound purchases back and cultivate a domestic luxury consumption market which is also consistent with the target to develop a consumption driven economy,” Yating Xu, an economist for HIS Global Insight said.

Luxury items like the latest Dolce & Gabbana bag can be around 50% cheaper in Milan or in Paris than in mainland China, although some brands like Chanel lowered Chinese prices last year to close the gap.

Some Chinese also prefer to buy expensive items abroad because they can be more certain the goods are genuine, and can get better choice or service than at home.

Luxury firms have invested in opening boutiques in China, but they sometimes sit idle, potentially damaging their brands.

The problem has gotten worse over the past year, according to figures provided by the consultancy Bain & Co., which found that luxury consumption in mainland China fell 2% in 2015, even as purchases by Chinese buyers rose 251% in Japan, 31% in Europe and 33% in South Korea.

The parallel market, mostly conducted online, is crowding out bricks-and-mortar shops, said Roth Lai, deputy editorial director at Elle China, speaking at a conference on luxury in Paris this week.

“E-commerce has become really the main driving force in the luxury goods market in China,” he said. “But I think the Chinese will continue to buy outside of China for the foreseeable future, until there is a major shift in economic structure in China.”

To combat the daigou, the Chinese government last week increased penalties for false declarations and tightened customs controls. Officials are catching more and more Chinese travelers at the airport with suitcases full of luxury goods and slapping taxes on them.

Beijing also said that from April 8 it would increase taxes imposed on a range of goods either imported via the Internet or carried in by daigous.

Tariffs on watches ordered from abroad were increased to 60% from 30% and on jewelry to 15% from 10%.

“We expect an adverse impact on overseas purchases by Chinese daigous and tourists alike,” said Exane BNP Paribas analyst Luca Solca.

China has also tightened the use abroad ofUnionPay cards, the government-supported payment card network. As of January, there is an annual withdrawal limit at overseas cash machines of 100,000 yuan ($15,471.49) per card.