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What a Declaring Agent is
Under Singapore Customs' rules, an importer can authorise a Declaring Agent to apply for permits on its behalf. The agent lodges the declaration and can pay the duties and GST due on that permit. Singapore Customs describes the arrangement at authorise a Declaring Agent. Which permit applies depends on the shipment; Singapore Customs lists them at types of import permits.
Shiplet is the freight-forwarding brand of Empirical Marine and Trading Pte. Limited, UEN 202418701E, a Registered Declaring Agent with Singapore Customs. We are an agent that books cargo onto carriers, not a carrier, and we lodge the import permits for our customers' shipments ourselves rather than handing them to somebody else.
What it means for your shipment
The practical difference is that there is no third party in the chain. A forwarder that is not a Declaring Agent has to pass your documents to one that is, and your shipment waits in that agent's queue as well as the forwarder's. When the permit is lodged in-house, the same company that counted your cartons at our hub in China lodges the declaration in Singapore, from the same packing list.
- Two documents. We need a commercial invoice and a packing list for every shipment. Upload them once you accept your confirmed quote and the permit can be prepared before the cargo reaches Singapore.
- GST at clearance. Singapore Customs charges GST at 9% on the CIF value: the cost of the goods plus insurance plus freight, plus duty if any. We pay it when the permit is cleared and pass it through on your invoice at cost.
- Whose name is on the permit. By default our own company is the importer on the permit, at no extra cost, so the GST is not claimable by you. A GST-registered business that wants to claim it back can have its own company named instead, chosen when booking for a published add-on; the pricing page sets it out.
- Duty on very few goods. Duty applies only to liquor, tobacco, motor vehicles and petroleum products. Everything else is duty-free and still GST-liable.
- Pay on arrival in Singapore. Freight at the quoted rate plus the GST paid to Customs, settled by PayNow or bank transfer when your cargo reaches Singapore, before we deliver it. No deposit, no card details.
Tell us what you're shipping.
Tell us what you're shipping and roughly how big. Your instant quote appears as you type, you get a reference number immediately, and the confirmed quote follows in writing within a few hours.
What we do and what you do
| What we do | What you do |
|---|---|
| Receive your cartons at our hub (Foshan for sea, Shenzhen for air) and count them against the packing list | Ask your supplier to deliver to the hub with the packing list, and to write your marking code on every carton |
| Consolidate several suppliers into one consignment and book the freight | Upload the commercial invoice and packing list once you accept the quote |
| Lodge the import permit with Singapore Customs as Declaring Agent | Declare the goods truthfully, at their real value |
| Pay GST and any duty at clearance and pass them through at cost | Pay on arrival in Singapore, by PayNow or bank transfer |
| Handle any inspection and report to you the same day | Answer any question Customs raises about the goods, through us |
| Deliver to your Singapore address | Tell us about batteries, liquids, powders, food, cosmetics or other restricted goods before shipping |
The value you declare
The permit is lodged on the value in your commercial invoice, and GST at 9% is calculated on that value plus insurance and freight. The commercial invoice is therefore the document Singapore Customs assesses, and it has to be right. Our GST and customs clearance guide explains the tax in more detail.
Never under-declare
Asking a supplier or a forwarder to write a lower value on the invoice to reduce GST is a false declaration, and the importer carries it. We lodge permits at the real invoice value, without exception. If you are unsure how to value a shipment, ask us before it leaves the supplier.
Restricted goods
Batteries, liquids, powders, food, cosmetics, magnets and medicines can be shipped in many cases, but only with the right paperwork arranged first. Contact us before shipping and see the restricted goods guide.
If Singapore Customs inspects your shipment
Singapore Customs and other agencies inspect a share of shipments, some at random. Because we lodged the permit, the query comes to us. We handle the documentation and tell you the same day, with a realistic estimate of when the goods will be released. Goods held for a regulatory reason, such as a missing product permit, stay held until the paperwork is right, and no forwarder can shortcut that.
The China to Singapore shipping guide walks through the whole process from supplier to door, and choosing a freight forwarder in Singapore covers what else to look for. When you are ready to move something, get an instant quote: it appears as you type, you have a reference number immediately, and the confirmed quote follows in writing within a few hours.
Frequently asked questions
Is Shiplet a Registered Declaring Agent?
What documents do you need to lodge the permit?
Who pays the GST on my import?
What happens if my shipment is inspected?
Know someone shipping from China? Send them this.