Officers of Shanghai Customs looked at the paperwork they had been handed and decided something was wrong. A company claimed to be exporting a shipment of 3,720 garments, valued at US$6.6 billion.
This meant that each garment in the consignment was worth a hefty US$1,774,194, or HK$13,719,490. Quite a lot for a blouse, even by the standards of decadent, barbarian, round-eye women.
They opened the boxes and found clothes worth less than US$5 each. The company was fined 8,000 yuan (about HK$7,438) for the 'error'. Xinhua (the New China News Agency) failed to report the name of the company.
Chinese companies often boost the value of their exports in the hope of getting bigger tax rebates.
The saddest thing is that the report quotes customs department official saying that it took action 'in order to maintain the accuracy of its statistics'.
Not because they were interested in right and wrong, or following the law, or preventing scams. Just to maintain the accuracy of its statistics. Seen at the Star Ferry: a young Filipina sitting at a shoe-shiner's stall having her footwear polished.
