The Death of Money

From the James Rickards book

Money Laundering 101

A favorite method [for money laundering in China] is to establish a relationship with a corrupt casino operator in Macao, where a high-rolling Chinese gambler can open a line of credit backed by his bank account. The gambler then proceeds deliberately to lose an enormous amount of money in a glamorous game such as baccarat played in an ostentatious VIP room. The gambling debt is promptly paid by debiting the gambler’s bank account in China. This transfer is not counted against the annual ceiling on capital exports because it is viewed as payment of a legitimate debt. The “unlucky” gambler later recovers the cash from the corrupt casino operator, minus a commission for the money-laundering service rendered.

Even larger amounts are moved offshore through the mis-invoicing of exports and imports. For example, a Chinese furniture manufacturer can create a shell distribution company in a tax haven jurisdiction such as Panama. Assuming the normal export price of each piece of furniture is 200 dollars, the Chinese manufacturer can underinvoice the Panamanian company and charge only 100 dollars for each piece. The Panamanian company can then resell into normal distribution channels for the usual price of 200 dollar per piece. The 100 dollar “profit” per piece resulting from the underinvoicing is then left to accumulate in Panama. With millions of furniture items shipped, the accumulated phony profit in Panama can reach into the hundreds of millions of dollars. This is money that would have ended up in China but for the invoicing scheme.