Even after Apple officially began selling in China, the iPad and iPhone have been hot targets for smuggling, partly because of the high taxes levied in the mainland. For the past few years, though, the government has begun cracking down: 26 people who allegedly bought and transported 162,000 iPhones and an unknown number of iPads into China are now being tried for evading duty taxes on them. Reuters’ reporting of the case gives us a look at the accused smugglers, half of whom are described as housewives who bring back phones and tablets after frequent visits to Hong Kong, for which they are paid 20 to 30 yuan ($3 to $5) per device.
Chinese iPhone and iPad smugglers go on trial as government cracks down
is a senior tech and policy editor focused on online platforms and free expression. Adi has covered virtual and augmented reality, the history of computing, and more for The Verge since 2011.
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