China seizes Belgian pigeons in tax dispute
September 30, 2013 Category Foreign trade, Weekly
Chinese authorities seized hundreds of Belgian pigeons, including Bolt, the world’s most expensive racer, sold for €310,000 earlier this year. Bolt was released last week, together with 400 other birds, but a further 1,200 racing pigeons are still held because of a dispute over import duties. The Belgian Ambassador to China, Michel Malherbe, is in talks to try to free the remaining pigeons. Chinese authorities have said the birds were declared at only nominal values, meaning China would be losing out massively on tax and import duties. Import duties are 10% of the value and, on top of that, a tax of 13% is levied, meaning China was due around €75,000 for Bolt alone. He was auctioned in May by Pigeon Paradise (PIPA), and his release was secured after PIPA’s Chief Executive Nikolaas Gyselbrecht flew to Beijing to negotiate, the South China Morning Post reports.
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