Furniture Sourcing Service for Singapore — PSA Terminal, 4–5 Days.
Singapore serves both its own premium retail and hospitality market, and as a re-export hub for onward regional distribution. No import duty on furniture, 9% GST on CIF value, 4–5 day transit from Foshan to PSA — full step-by-step in our Singapore import guide.
Port & transit time
Ocean freight from Foshan to Singapore typically runs 4–5 days, landing at PSA Singapore Terminal.
Common categories shipped to Singapore.
Premium retail
Higher-spec finishes and materials for Singapore's retail and showroom market.
F&B & hospitality
Furniture for the city's dense restaurant, café and hotel sector.
Corporate fit-out
Office furniture for Singapore's corporate and co-working developments.
Notes for buyers shipping to Singapore.
- PSA Singapore is one of the world's busiest transhipment hubs — useful if you plan to re-export onward to a smaller regional port.
- Lead times here are consistent and among the most reliable in the region, which suits time-sensitive retail launches.
Clearance into Singapore.
Singapore is effectively a free port for furniture: most categories enter with no import duty, but GST applies on the value of the goods — the calculator pre-fills 9% as an example only. Because duty is rarely the issue, clearance here is usually the least complicated in the region, and the practical focus shifts to GST treatment and documentation rather than tariff classification.
If you are re-exporting onward, the picture changes again. Goods that enter and leave can be treated differently from goods that enter and stay, and the paperwork has to reflect the actual destination from the outset. Tell us at the quoting stage if the final destination is not Singapore itself.
Singapore lead time and cost at a glance.
Ocean transit Foshan → PSA: 4–5 days, the region's most consistent schedule. Customs clearance for a clean TradeNet permit: often within a day. Import duty on furniture: $0. GST: 9% of CIF (product + freight + insurance) — e.g. $10,000 FOB + $1,200 freight/insurance = $11,200 CIF → $1,008 GST. GST-registered buyers generally recover it as input tax. Model your order in the landed-cost calculator.
Why buyers here order on a rhythm.
Singapore lead times are the most consistent in this list, which makes the market unusually well suited to repeat ordering on a fixed cycle rather than one-off projects. A retail or F&B group refreshing outlets in sequence can plan production and freight against a calendar instead of reacting to each opening.
It also suits locking a specification. When the same chair has to be reorderable two years later for a new outlet, the value of a written specification and a retained approved sample is that the second order matches the first without a fresh design round.
Three things that catch Singapore buyers.
- Re-export paperwork. If the goods are moving on, the entry documentation has to reflect that from the start. Reconstructing it afterwards is costly.
- GST on the full value. Freight and insurance form part of the value on which GST is assessed, so a low FOB price can still produce a larger GST bill than expected.
- Premium spec expectations. Buyers here judge against high retail standards. Where that matters, spend on the visible finish and the feel of the materials rather than on the frame, which is where a difference is least noticeable.
Common questions shipping furniture to Singapore.
How long does shipping from Foshan to Singapore take?
Ocean freight lands at PSA Singapore Terminal. Lead times here are the most consistent of the markets we serve, which suits time-sensitive orders and makes this the market best suited to ordering on a rhythm.
Is there import duty on furniture going into Singapore?
Singapore is effectively a free port for furniture: most categories enter with no import duty, though GST applies. Because duty is rarely the issue, clearance here is usually the least complicated in the region.
What happens if I am re-exporting onward from Singapore?
Goods that enter and leave can be treated differently, and the entry documentation has to reflect that from the start. Reconstructing paperwork afterwards is the expensive part, so it needs deciding before the container sails.
Does GST apply to the full landed value?
Freight and insurance form part of the value on which GST is assessed, so a low FOB price can still produce a higher tax base than expected.
What should buyers here prioritise?
Buyers judge against high retail standards, so spend on the visible finish and the details that get touched. It also suits locking a specification: when the same chair has to be reorderable two years later, a stable spec is worth more than a lower first order.