Singapore has trade agreements with a number of countries that can benefit traders importing from, or exporting to, these countries.

What Are Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)?
How Do FTAs Help My Import/Export Business?
What Products Qualify For Tariff Concessions Under FTAs?
How Do I Show That My Product Qualifies?
Who Has Signed FTAs With Singapore?
Where Can I Learn More About FTAs?

What Are Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)?

• They are legally binding contracts between two or more countries to bring about closer economic integration.
  
  
• One of the aims of FTAs is to eliminate trade barriers and allow goods and services to flow freely between countries. Trade barriers can be tariffs (taxes), onerous regulations, etc.

back to top

How Do FTAs Help My Import/Export Business?

• FTAs provide for tariff concessions, i.e. reduction or elimination of import tariffs or customs duties, on products traded between Singapore and its FTA partners.
  
  
• When you export goods to buyers in FTA-partner countries, your buyers pay less duty. In other words, FTAs make your exports more attractive.
  
  
• When you import goods from sellers in FTA-partner countries, you pay less or no duty. In other words, you reduce the cost of importing goods.
  
  
  • Importers should note that Singapore only imposes import duties on beer, stout, samsu and medicated samsu.
    
    
  • If you are importing any of these goods, please check to see if they are entitled to “preferential tariff”, i.e. you can pay less or no duty when importing goods under Free Trade Agreements.
    
    

  See:	Preferential Tariffs

back to top

What Products Qualify For Tariff Concessions Under FTAs?

• Only products originating from member countries of FTAs qualify for tariff concessions (lower tariffs/duties).
  
  
• To decide the "nationality of a product", you must look at the Rules of Origin (ROO). The originating status of a product can be determined by the following Rules of Origin:
  
  
  • product wholly obtained or produced criterion
  • change in tariff classification criterion
  • value-added criterion
  • process criterion e.g. chemical reaction

• Each FTA applies different ROO. Singapore exporters who want to reap the benefits of FTAs should find out which ROO apply to the product intended for export to the FTA partner country.
  
  
• To do so, exporters may use the Tariff Savings/ROO Search on the FTA website.