Ministry of Finance and four other departments: delegate approval authority for the establishment of duty-free shops at ports of exit, and for changes in the approval process for determining the entities operating duty-free shops at ports of exit and entry.

The Ministry of Finance and four other departments have issued a notice on improving the policy to support and boost consumption through duty-free shops. It mentions the decentralization of approval authority for the establishment of duty-free shops for outbound passengers at ports, as well as changes in the determination of operators for outbound and inbound duty-free shops at ports. Provinces will coordinate the layout and construction of outbound duty-free shops at local ports. The establishment of outbound duty-free shops at ports will be approved by the provincial-level finance department in conjunction with the departments of commerce, culture and tourism, customs, and taxation in the location of the port. If there are both outbound and inbound duty-free shops at the same port, separate tenders can be conducted. In special cases where conditions for tendering are not met, such as small passenger flows or limited operating areas, the provincial finance department will, in conjunction with the departments of commerce, culture and tourism, customs, and taxation, approve the determination of operators through competitive negotiations or other methods as specified in the Competitive Bidding Law of the People's Republic of China. Matters such as the establishment of duty-free shops for outbound passengers at airports under the direct supervision of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, as well as changes in the determination of operators for duty-free shops for outbound passengers and duty-free shops at ports for inbound passengers, will continue to be implemented according to the existing regulations. After the determination of operators, filing with relevant departments such as the Ministry of Finance and applying for duty-free shop operating permits from customs will continue to be carried out according to the existing regulations.