The government is stepping up measures to stop foreign visitors from purchasing duty-free products and reselling them to businesses that would then sell them at a cheaper price in Japan.
Starting May 1, the government started levying the consumption tax on businesses that purchased the products and illegally resold them, in addition to foreign nationals who initially purchased those products for resale purposes.
When a foreign visitor buys duty-free products in Japan, the information on what they purchased along with passport data is sent to customs. When the visitor departs Japan, customs officials will double check that they are taking the purchased items out of the country.
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