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Baby formula
China

Shenzhen customs: We won't crack down on 'moonlighting' baby formula smugglers

Law enforcement 'difficult' while traders abide by two-tin limit

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Travelers trade in formula milk at the mainland side of Lo Wu border checkpoint. Photo: Weibo/SCMP pictures
It was a relief for many newly mobilised baby formula traders when Shenzhen customs officers said on Thursday they would not crack down on "moonlighting smugglers”.
While recognising that more travellers are making fast money buying milk powder tins in Hong Kong before trading them at higher prices in Shenzhen, mainland officials said law enforcement was difficult because these people were abiding by the two-tin limit. It would also be difficult to tell whether they intended to sell them for a profit, they said.

“It’s not just about the money”, commented ‘amateur’ traders and bloggers on Weibo after the official response, “We do it for China’s babies.”

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“I will join them [formula traders] from now on simply to protest Hong Kong’s stupid law,” wrote another blogger.

These are definitely untraditional parallel traders compared with the pre-two-tin-limit era.

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Newly joined are professional-looking young men and women, middle-aged housewives, and veteran day-trippers, many of whom are Hong Kong citizens, said media reports.

By trading in two tins of infant formula in the mainland side of Lo Wu border checkpoint, they make an easy HK$60 to HK$80 per trip - considered decent pocket money by many. 

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