放宽审批权限，中国完善免税店政策

Core Viewpoint - China is significantly optimizing its duty-free shop policies to attract foreign consumption and boost domestic spending, effective from November 1, 2023 [1][2]. Group 1: Policy Enhancements - The new policy includes four major enhancements to the existing duty-free shop regulations aimed at promoting domestic products and improving the shopping experience for travelers [1][2]. - Duty-free shops are defined as sales venues approved by the General Administration of Customs, selling tax-exempt goods to specified customers [1]. Group 2: Product Range Expansion - The policy expands the categories of products available in duty-free shops, including mobile phones, drones, sports goods, health foods, over-the-counter drugs, and pet food [2]. - There is an emphasis on increasing the sales of domestic products, with a requirement that at least 25% of the sales area in duty-free shops be dedicated to domestic goods [1][2]. Group 3: Approval Process and Local Integration - The approval process for establishing duty-free shops is being decentralized, allowing local governments to manage the layout and construction of these shops according to regional needs [2]. - The policy allows for the integration of online booking services, enabling travelers to reserve products in city duty-free shops and pick them up at port duty-free shops [3]. Group 4: Impact on Tax Refunds - The recent measures have led to a significant increase in the number of travelers utilizing the tax refund services, with a 229.8% year-on-year increase in the number of travelers and a 97.4% increase in tax refund amounts from January to September this year [3].