Commercial invoice — what the goods are, how many, unit price, total value and the currency. This is what Singapore Customs assesses GST on.
How shipping from China to Singapore works
From your first message to cargo on your floor. Most shipments follow exactly this path.
- 1
Send your details
Route, mode, what the goods are, rough size and weight, and when they're ready. You get a reference number immediately.
- 2
Your instant quote, then the confirmed quote
Your instant quote appears as you fill in the form. Our team checks the details and sends the confirmed quote in writing within a few hours, with the all-in figure, transit window and next sailing or flight. Nothing is booked and nothing is payable until you accept the confirmed quote.
- 3
Your supplier delivers to our warehouse
Sea cargo to our Foshan hub, air cargo to our Shenzhen warehouse. We receive, count every carton against the packing list, and tell you if the numbers don't match — before it leaves, not after. Five days' storage free at Foshan.
- 4
Departure and transit
Your cargo leaves on the next departure, Monday to Saturday. You get the departure confirmation and an arrival estimate. Cargo is covered at declared invoice value.
- 5
Clearance and delivery
We lodge the import permit and clear customs. When your cargo reaches Singapore you pay by PayNow or bank transfer, and then we deliver to your Singapore address.
Documents you need
Two documents cover almost every shipment:
Packing list — carton count, dimensions and weights. This is what we check your cargo against when it reaches the hub.
Some goods need more: a certificate of origin to claim a preferential duty rate, an MSDS for anything with a battery or a liquid, or a product-specific permit. We tell you which apply before you ship, not after.
Invoices that understate value to reduce GST are your risk, not a service we provide. Singapore Customs can and does query them, and the shipment stops while they do.
GST on imports
Singapore charges GST on the CIF value of imported goods — the cost of the goods plus freight and insurance — at 9%. It is payable regardless of shipment size and regardless of whether you are GST-registered. We pay it on your behalf at clearance and it appears on your invoice at cost. We declare under our own company, so the permit is in our name. If your company is GST-registered and wants to claim the GST back, we can name it as the importer instead, for a small charge shown on our Pricing page.
Duty applies to only four categories in Singapore: liquor, tobacco, motor vehicles and petroleum products. Everything else is duty-free but still GST-liable.
If your goods are inspected or held
Singapore Customs and other agencies inspect a proportion of shipments, sometimes at random. If yours is selected we handle the documentation, tell you the same day, and give you a realistic release estimate. Inspection charges are passed on at cost. Goods held for a regulatory reason — a missing permit, a product that needs approval — stay held until the paperwork is right, and no forwarder can shortcut that.
That is the whole process.
Send the details and your instant quote appears straight away, with a reference number. The confirmed quote follows in writing within a few hours. Nothing is booked and nothing is payable until you accept it.