I am taking a trip to Shanghai next week to see some friends. They have requested that I bring a few items with me to give to them that are difficult (or expensive) for them to obtain where they live:
- Gluten-free crackers and pizza crust mix
- Personal lubricant
- Vitamins
- Energy drink mix
- Dental floss
- Swiss army knife
- Vegetable peeler
- Designer earrings (18K gold)
As this will be my first time travelling to China, I'm not sure what to expect, and I would like to know if there's anything I should be aware of:
- Will I need to declare any of these items specifically on the immigration form?
- Are there any special considerations since I will not be taking these items out of the country when I leave?
- Are there any items that will be confiscated or destroyed if I bring them with me?
- Will I be charged a duty or import tax on any of these items?
- Is there anything else I should know before attempting to bring these items into China?
Also, the value of the earrings is in excess of the ¥2.000 threshold noted in the document linked from Ankur's answer, so it seems that I will need to pay a duty tax on them. This raises a couple of additional questions:
- What is the duty tax rate for US citizens?
- Can I pay the duty tax in US Dollars or with a credit card, or will I need to acquire Renminbi before I arrive?
I am a US citizen coming in on a single-entry tourist ("L") visa.