Duty-Free Industry Relieved as Foreigners Allowed to Use Departure Hall Duty-Free Shops and Multiple Shipments Permitted

Temporary Permission from Next Year, Possible Activation of Internet Duty-Free Shops

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] The government has introduced additional support measures, including multiple shipments, to help the struggling duty-free industry.

On the 17th, the Ministry of Economy and Finance announced the 2021 Economic Policy Direction, deciding to allow foreign buyers registered with customs to ship duty-free goods multiple times through export delivery points before departure. This will take effect from January 1 next year, and the end date will be determined considering the number of arrivals and departures and duty-free store users. Previously, when daigou purchased goods in bulk, they were only allowed to ship once per departure. From now on, it will be possible to send goods overseas multiple times before departure.

The government has permitted tourist flights carrying foreign tourists from overseas to enter Korean airspace and use the duty-free shops in the departure area after landing. While aircraft briefly land at Incheon Airport, overseas passengers can use the airport duty-free shops and receive items purchased from online duty-free shops at the delivery point before returning to their home countries.

To this end, the government plans to decide on operation permits through consultations with quarantine authorities, focusing on countries with potential for expanded exchanges, considering the COVID-19 situation in the counterpart countries. In addition, thorough quarantine measures will be implemented considering the overseas COVID-19 situation, and routes and duty-free shops will be managed separately to minimize contact with general arrivals and departures.

A duty-free industry official said, "We expect that developing products targeting Chinese daigou or Japanese tourists will help increase sales," adding, "Especially, online duty-free shop sales are expected to rise."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.