Starting an Import and Export Trading Company in Singapore: Customs Registration, Permits and GST Schemes

Short answer: To start an import and export trading company in Singapore, incorporate with ACRA to obtain a Unique Entity Number (UEN), activate the company’s Customs Account, appoint a declaring agent or register as one to file TradeNet permits, and check whether your goods need a competent authority licence. Register for GST once taxable turnover passes S$1 million.

If you plan to set up an import and export trading company in Singapore, incorporation is only the first step. Before a single container clears, the company needs an active Customs Account, a way to file permits through TradeNet (Singapore’s national single window for trade declarations), a GIRO arrangement to pay import GST and duty, and, for some products, a licence from the agency that controls them. This guide sets out the full sequence for an import and export company, the government fees, and where the GST schemes for trading businesses fit in.

Raffles Corporate Services works with a panel of experienced Singapore law firms who offer cost-effective and efficient legal service and advice. This article is general information only and is not legal advice.

What do you need to start an import and export trading company in Singapore?

You need a UEN, an activated Customs Account, a way to file TradeNet permits, a payment arrangement with Singapore Customs and any licences your goods require, followed by GST registration when turnover crosses the threshold.

There is no general “import and export licence” for ordinary goods: what people usually mean is the Customs Account plus a permit for each shipment. The GoBusiness Guide to Import, Export and Transhipment sets out this sequence:

1. Incorporate the company with ACRA and receive its UEN.
2. Activate the company’s Customs Account.
3. Find the 8-digit Harmonised System (HS) code for each product and check whether it is controlled.
4. Apply for any licence required by the relevant competent authority.
5. Appoint a declaring agent, or register as one and apply for a TradeNet user ID.
6. Apply for Inter-Bank GIRO (IBG) with Singapore Customs and furnish security where required.
7. File the import, export or transhipment permit for each shipment through TradeNet.
8. Register for GST when required, and consider whether an import GST scheme suits your trade flows.

We incorporate within 1 business day of receiving complete documents, subject to compliance checks. For company secretarial basics, see our sister site Singapore Secretary Services.

How do you activate your UEN with Singapore Customs?

A key person registered with ACRA, such as a director, activates the company’s Customs Account online. For a newly incorporated company, this can be done from the same ACRA portal straight after registration.

According to the Customs registration overview, any importer or exporter, or anyone appointing a declaring agent to file permits, must hold a UEN and an activated Customs Account. Points to note:

• Only key personnel (an owner, partner or director on ACRA’s records) can activate the account.
• There is no fee payable to Singapore Customs for activation.
• The contact person is notified within 4 working hours if no supporting documents are needed. If documents are requested, the standard processing time is 3 working days from receipt of complete documents.
• Changes in ownership, address, contact details or authorised personnel must be updated in the Customs Account within 7 days of the change.

The free Trader Notification service alerts you whenever a permit under your UEN is approved, amended or cancelled, which helps you catch an agent’s errors.

How do TradeNet permits work, and do you need a declaring agent?

Every import, export and transhipment is declared on a permit filed through TradeNet. You can appoint a declaring agent (DA), often your freight forwarder, or register as a DA yourself, apply for a TradeNet user ID and file through approved front-end software or the Government Front-End Application.

You or your agent must maintain an IBG arrangement with Singapore Customs to pay duties, GST and fees; bank approval usually takes 3 to 4 weeks, so apply early. Make sure your company is named as importer on each permit, because IRAS does not allow an input tax claim on a permit naming another business. Exports need a permit too, even though no GST or duty is charged on them.

Which goods need a licence from a competent authority?

Controlled goods need approval, a licence or advance notification from a competent authority (CA) before they move. Search the HS/CA Product Code Checker by description or HS code; if an item is controlled, the CA is shown next to its code.

If you are unsure of the correct 8-digit HS code, Singapore Customs offers an official classification ruling for S$75 per product, valid only for use in Singapore. Common competent authorities for a trading business include:

Military and dual-use items are listed in the Schedule to the Strategic Goods (Control) Order 2026. Some goods cannot be imported at all, such as chewing gum (other than HSA-approved dental and medicinal gum), e-cigarettes and vaporisers. Check your product list before signing supply contracts.

When does a trading company need to register for GST, and how does import GST work?

GST registration is compulsory when taxable turnover exceeded S$1 million in the last calendar year, or is expected to exceed S$1 million in the next 12 months. Import GST, however, is payable on every import whether or not you are GST-registered, unless a relief or scheme applies.

Taxable turnover includes zero-rated exports, so a re-exporter can cross the threshold quickly, and an unregistered company cannot recover the import GST it pays. A company whose taxable turnover is wholly or mainly zero-rated may apply to IRAS for exemption from registration. Our guide on how to apply for GST registration covers the application, and the GST registration tool on our free tools page helps you check whether you must register.

IRAS sets out import GST as 9% of the CIF value (cost, insurance and freight), plus all duties payable, plus commission and other incidental charges:

Most goods are not dutiable. Singapore Customs lists four categories of dutiable goods: intoxicating liquors, tobacco products, motor vehicles, and petroleum products and biodiesel blends; see our guide to excise duty and customs duty for importers. A GST-registered importer named on the permit can claim the import GST as input tax in its GST return (Box 5 for the value, Box 7 for the GST). Goods imported by air or post, other than liquor and tobacco, are relieved from import GST when the CIF value is S$400 or less.

Which GST schemes help import-heavy trading companies?

Several schemes suspend or defer import GST so cash is not tied up between paying it at the border and recovering it in the GST return. The right one depends on how much you export and how you store goods.

For MES, the IRAS Major Exporter Scheme page also requires good compliance records with Singapore Customs and IRAS, and a self-review under the Assisted Self-Help Kit (ASK) certified by an accredited tax professional. Approval usually runs for 3 years. See our full guides to the Major Exporter Scheme and the Import GST Deferment Scheme. A new company needs trading history to show the MES export ratio, so IGDS or warehouse arrangements usually come first.

Exports are zero-rated only with the right evidence; see our guide to GST treatment of exported goods and services.

What records and certificates of origin should a trading company keep?

Keep every document on the purchase, import, sale and export of goods for at least five years from the date of permit approval, and produce them to Singapore Customs on request.

For each shipment that means the permit, commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading or air waybill. Your bookkeeper should match each import permit to the supplier invoice; an under-declared value needs a short payment permit.

An ordinary certificate of origin is optional and requested for commercial reasons; a preferential proof of origin lets your buyer pay lower or no duty under a free trade agreement. A typical TradeNet certificate of origin application costs about S$6.29, or about S$9.27 combined with an export permit.

How much does it cost to set up an import and export company in Singapore?

Customs charges are small; the main costs are incorporation, compliance and your agent’s fees. Prices below are from Singapore Customs and our packages page.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an import and export licence to trade general goods in Singapore?

No separate licence is needed for goods that are not controlled. You need an activated Customs Account and a TradeNet permit for each shipment. A licence from a competent authority is only required for controlled goods, such as food, health products or chemicals.

Can a foreign-owned company activate a Customs Account?

Yes. Any entity registered with ACRA can activate its Customs Account, but only key personnel on ACRA’s records, such as a director, can do so. The company must first be incorporated in Singapore.

Can my company import under a related company’s MES status?

No. IRAS states that MES status can be used only for goods owned by the MES company or its overseas principal. Using another company’s MES status is an offence, and the MES status may be revoked.

How long does it take to be ready for the first shipment?

Incorporation can be completed within 1 business day of complete documents and Customs Account activation within 4 working hours if no documents are needed. IBG approval usually takes 3 to 4 weeks; until then, duties and GST are deducted from your declaring agent’s IBG.

Last reviewed: 27 October 2026. The Editorial Team, Raffles Corporate Services.