When an iPad is a laptop

When is an iPad a laptop? Either when you use a keyboard connecting through Bluetooth – there are several – or when China’s top customs house declares it is a laptop when it comes to tariffs. The tariff is based on a duty-paid price of RMB5,000 (US$753).
China’s top customs house defended its policy to treat iPads as normal laptops for tariff levy. Huang Yi, an official with the supervision department of the General Administration of Customs, said the decision to categorize iPads as notebook computers was made for the convenience of both customs houses and travelers. He said customs would adjust the duty-paid prices regularly according to market fluctuation.
CRIEnglish.com reports that based on the 20% rate for laptops, a buyer has to pay about RMB1,000 extra for an iPad in China.