Best Buys--Hong Kong is a duty-free port, which means that imported goods are not taxed in the SAR with the exception of only a few luxury goods, such as tobacco, alcohol, and some petroleum products. What's more, there is no sales tax in Hong Kong. Thus, you can buy some goods in the SAR at a cheaper price than in the country where they were made. It's less expensive, for example, to buy Japanese products such as designer clothing, cameras, electronic goods, and pearls in Hong Kong than in Japan itself. In fact, all my friends who live in Japan try to visit the SAR at least once or twice a year to buy their business clothes, cosmetics, and other accessories.
Although not as cheap as it once was, clothing is probably one of the best buys in Hong Kong, simply because of the sheer quantity and variety. If you've looked at the labels of clothes sold in your own hometown, you've probably noticed that many say MADE IN Hong Kong. Both custom-made and designer garments remain affordable in Hong Kong, including three-piece business suits, leather outfits, furs, sportswear, and jeans. Even cheaper are factory outlets and small stores where you can pick up inexpensive fashions for a song. But even when I end up paying about as much for an outfit as I would back home, I know I've purchased unique clothing in Hong Kong that's impossible to find in homogenized shopping malls.
Hong Kong is also a great place to shop for Chinese products, including porcelain, jade, cloisonné, silk handicrafts and clothing, hand-embroidery, jewelry, and artwork. You'll also find crafts and goods from other parts of Asia, including Thailand, India, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
Other good buys include Chinese antiques, shoes, jewelry, furniture, carpets, leather goods, luggage (you'll probably need a new bag just to lug your purchases home), handbags, briefcases, Chinese herbs, and eyeglasses. Hong Kong is also one of the world's largest exporters of watches and toys. As for electronic goods and cameras, they are not the bargains they once were. Make sure, therefore, to check prices on goods at home before you come to the SAR so that you can accurately assess a bargain. The best deals are on recently discontinued models, such as last year's Sony Discman.
If you're interested in fake name-brand watches, handbags, or clothing to impress the folks back home, you've come to the right place. Although illegal, fake name-brand goods were still being sold at Hong Kong's night markets during my last visit by vendors who were ready to flee at the first sight of an official (even cheaper prices are offered for fake designer handbags and watches just across the border in mainland China). Of course, if customs officials spot these fake goods in your bags when you return home, they'll be confiscated.
