On December 19, the reporter learned from the Sichuan Provincial Tax Service, State Taxation Administration, that in the first 11 months, the sales of tax-refunded goods in Sichuan increased by over 142 percent year-on-year, ranking fourth nationwide, behind only Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangdong. The number of overseas visitors applying for departure tax refunds from the province grew by 284 percent year-on-year.

In terms of visitor origins, this year, tourists shopping in Sichuan who enjoyed the departure tax refund came from 122 countries (regions), an increase of 56 countries (regions) compared to last year. Tourists from the Hong Kong and Macao regions of China showed the strongest purchasing power, with their spending amount topping the list and accounting for 41 percent of the total. Tourists from Southeast Asian and South Asian countries accounted for the highest number of transactions, together representing over 57 percent of the total—a nearly fourfold increase year-on-year. Their spending amount also surged by more than 2.5 times compared to the same period last year.

In terms of regions, Chengdu serves as the consumption hub, accounting for over 99 percent of both the number of departure tax refund transactions and the total sales value. Modern core commercial districts such as Chunxi Road and SKP Chengdu contributed the vast majority of tax-refunded sales. The lowering of the minimum spending threshold for tax refunds and the accelerated expansion of tax-refund stores have significantly boosted small and medium-sized merchants. The volume of tax-refund invoices issued at shops in attractions such as the Sanxingdui Museum in Deyang and the Leshan Giant Buddha has far exceeded previous years' levels.

In terms of product categories, international brands in segments such as luxury handbags, jewelry, and watches account for a significant share of sales. "Made in China" products have performed impressively, with transaction volume of sales for Xiaomi smartphones, smartwatches, and DJI drones surging by 728 percent year-on-year, and sales value rising by 176 percent. These products accounted for 62 percent of all transactions in the 3C product category. "Made in Sichuan" products such as Sichuan tea saw transaction volume increase by 218 percent year-on-year, with sales value reaching 13 times that of the same period last year.

Currently, the province has 662 tax-refund stores, achieving full coverage across all 21 cities (prefectures). Both the number of stores and the number of cities (prefectures) where they are located have doubled since the beginning of the year. A relevant official from the Export Tax Refund Service and Administration Bureau of the Sichuan Provincial Tax Service introduced that this year, Sichuan has taken the lead in implementing innovative measures such as online payments for "refund-upon-purchase" service and mutual recognition across Sichuan, Chongqing, Shaanxi, and Yunnan, as well as established centralized refund counters in two major commercial districts in Chengdu, IFS and SKP, to leverage the convenience of tax refunds to encourage repeat spending by international visitors. The province now has 208 stores registered for the "refund-upon-purchase" service—nearly three times the figure at the start of the year. The number of transactions using this service and the resulting sales value have surged 16 times and 19 times, respectively, compared with the full-year totals for 2024.