Singapore Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in singapore, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
Select Country Guide
Customs Regulations
Last published date:

In Singapore, the “transaction value methods” is considered in establishing the customs value, which is the Cost, Insurance, and Freight (CIF) value under International Commercial Terms (incoterms). The primary basis for customs value is the transaction value of the imported goods when sold for export to Singapore. All other charges incidental to the sale and delivery of the imports mut be added to the transaction value or the price paid or payable for the imports. If any component of the customs value is settled in foreign currency, that value will need to be converted to Singapore Dollars using the current selling rate of that currency in Singapore, at the time when customs duty or excise duty is paid for the imports. You will need to have a customs permit and abide by Singapore Customs import requirements and procedures. Exporters are required to ensure that the values declared goods have not been undervalued or the Customs and Excise Department will increase the values declared. Severe penalties may be imposed on traders attempting to evade duty.

Free Trade Zones / Warehouses

Singapore has three Free Trade Zone (FTZ) authorities, namely PSA Corporation Ltd, Jurong Port Pte Ltd and the Changi Airport Group (Singapore) Pte Ltd. The nine FTZs are Brani Terminal, Keppel Distripark, Pasir Panjang Wharves and Terminal, Sembawang Wharves, Tanjong Pagar Terminal, Keppel Terminal, Jurong Port, Changi Airport Group and the Changi Airport Cargo Terminal Complex. They provide a wide range of facilities and services for storage and the re-export of dutiable and controlled goods. Goods can be stored within the zones without any customs documentation until they are released, and they can also be processed and re-exported with minimum customs formalities. More information can be obtained via Singapore Customs.  

GST is suspended for imported goods deposited in an FTZ and will only be payable upon removal from the FTZ for local consumption. GST is not payable on supply made within FTZ if the goods supplied are meant for transshipment or re-export. The FTZs at the port facilitate entrepot trade and promote the handling of transshipment cargo. They offer free 72-hour storage for import/export of conventional and containerized cargo and 140-day free storage for transshipment/re-export cargo.

There are many warehouse options available in Singapore. Some of the more popular ones are located close to the port and within easy reach of the airport and the Jurong industrial hub. These include the Tanjong Pagar, Alexandra and Pasir Panjang distriparks which are home to many established multinationals. The varying designs and sizes of the distriparks cater to Central Distribution Center operators, manufacturers, traders, freight forwarders and others. The Singapore Customs website maintains a list.

×

Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

Privacy Program | Information Quality Guidelines | Accessibility