Incoterms explained for Singapore importers
Incoterms define where cost and risk pass from seller to buyer. They are three letters on a purchase order that determine who pays for what, who is exposed if the goods are damaged, and — importantly for Singapore — how your customs value is calculated.
At a glance
| EXW — Ex Works | Buyer takes over at the seller's premises. Maximum buyer responsibility. |
|---|---|
| FCA — Free Carrier | Seller delivers to a carrier at a named place. Common for air freight. |
| FOB — Free On Board | Seller loads on the vessel; risk passes there. Sea freight only. |
| CIF — Cost, Insurance and Freight | Seller pays freight and insurance to the destination port; risk passes at origin. |
| DAP — Delivered At Place | Seller delivers to the named destination, import clearance excluded. |
| DDP — Delivered Duty Paid | Seller handles everything including import clearance and taxes. |
The one thing people misunderstand about CIF
Under CIF the seller pays for freight and insurance to the destination port — but risk passes to the buyer at origin, when the goods are loaded. Buyers routinely assume that because the seller arranged and paid for the transport, the seller carries the risk during it. They do not. If the goods are damaged at sea on CIF terms, that is the buyer's problem, mitigated only by the insurance the seller was required to arrange, which is often minimum cover.
Why the Incoterm affects your declaration
Singapore calculates import GST on the CIF value. If you bought EXW or FOB, the freight and insurance are not in your invoice and must be added to arrive at the customs value. If you bought CIF, they are already there. If you bought DDP, the seller has taken on the import clearance and the arrangement needs examining, because someone still has to be the importer of record with a Singapore Customs Account. The term is not a commercial detail that sits outside the declaration — it determines how the declaration is built.
The trouble with DDP
DDP looks attractive because it appears to make everything the seller's problem. In practice it frequently causes difficulty for Singapore imports: an overseas seller usually cannot be the importer of record here, so the arrangement often means someone acts as importer on their behalf, which can complicate GST recovery and leaves the declaration in hands you cannot see. If your business is GST-registered and would otherwise recover import GST, DDP can cost you more than it saves.
What we usually recommend
For most one-off and unusual shipments, FCA or FOB gives a good balance: the seller handles export formalities and gets the goods to the carrier, and you control the international leg, the insurance, and the Singapore clearance. That control matters most precisely on the shipments where things can go wrong — which are the ones we handle. EXW is worth considering if you want full control from the factory door, but it means arranging export clearance in a country you may not know.
Name the place
An Incoterm without a named place is incomplete and creates ambiguity. "FOB Shanghai" and "FOB Ningbo" are different contracts. "DAP Singapore" and "DAP 15 Tuas Avenue" are very different obligations. Write the full term with the specific place into the purchase order.
Official sources
Requirements, rates, and thresholds change. These are the authorities that set them — check the current position with them before acting on anything here.
Last reviewed August 2026. This page explains how the process generally works; it is not advice on your specific shipment, and it does not replace guidance from Singapore Customs, the relevant Competent Authority, or a licensed Declaring Agent.
Questions we get asked about this
Which Incoterm is best for importing into Singapore?
For most unusual or one-off shipments, FCA or FOB — you keep control of the international leg, the insurance, and the clearance while the seller handles export formalities. The right answer depends on your experience, your leverage with the supplier, and how much control you want.
Under CIF, who is responsible if goods are damaged at sea?
The buyer bears the risk, even though the seller paid for the transport. The seller must arrange insurance, but it is often minimum cover. If the goods matter, arrange your own cover at a level you are comfortable with.
Is DDP simpler for me?
It looks simpler and often is not. An overseas seller generally cannot act as importer of record in Singapore, so the arrangement gets worked around in ways that can affect your GST recovery and leave you without visibility of your own declaration. Examine it before agreeing to it.
Does the Incoterm change how much GST I pay?
Not the amount, if everything is declared correctly — the CIF value should be the same however you got there. What it changes is where those costs appear and whether you have to add them yourself. Errors here are a common source of undervaluation.
More in Singapore import guides
Air vs sea freight
How to make the mode decision properly, including the factors that are usually left out.
LCL vs FCL
When sharing a container makes sense, and the costs that do not show up in the LCL rate.
Free Trade Zones
Where duty and GST are suspended, and whether that helps you.
Clearance timeline
The stages between arrival and delivery, and where time is actually lost.
What is TradeNet
Singapore's single-window system for trade declarations, and the front door to every import permit.
UEN & Customs Account
The registration groundwork that has to exist before a single permit can be filed.
Related pages
CIF value
The value your tax is calculated on, and what belongs in it.
GST on imports
What import GST is charged on, how it is calculated, and what changes the timing.
Commercial invoice
What the invoice has to show, and the descriptions that get shipments held.
Customs and import coordination
Help understanding what a shipment needs before it clears — permits, declarations, and the information a Declaring Agent will ask for.
Special cargo into Singapore
Coordination for shipments that fall outside standard freight categories — awkward shapes, unusual materials, or one-off commercial goods.
Have a shipment that fits this?
Start the guided enquiry and describe it in plain terms. We will tell you what is involved — including if the answer is that you do not need us.