GST on imports (9%)
GST is charged on the CIF value plus any duty for goods imported into Singapore, including most parcels, and is collected at the border or by the platform.
Ask Supplymo
Sourcing decisions before supplier payments
1688 sourcing assistant
1688 Sourcing Assistant for Singapore Sellers
Ask anything about buying from 1688 — answers from our sourcing operations, with verified official sources when available, before you pay.
- Answers from our sourcing operations
- Verified official sources cited when available
- A decision assistant, not a full sourcing agent
Product link, destination and quantity are optional
Curated questions buyers ask before payment
Curated prompts are editorial examples, never raw customer questions. Official sources appear only when a verified source is available.
Singapore checklist
What to confirm before paying a 1688 supplier for the Singapore market
Singapore is largely a free port with low duty, but GST on imports and controlled-goods rules still decide the real cost and feasibility of a 1688 order.
Customs permit
A Singapore Customs import permit is needed for commercial shipments. Most goods are duty-free, but the permit and accurate value declaration are still required.
Controlled & prohibited goods
Items such as certain electronics, cosmetics, e-cigarettes, and regulated products need approval from the relevant agency before import.
China-to-Singapore route
Sea LCL and air are both common; the route, consolidation, and last-mile choice change the landed cost more than the unit price does.
Verify against:Singapore CustomsControlled & prohibited goods list
Curated Answer Bank
Straight answers to the questions that change a 1688 buying decision
Each answer comes from Supplymo’s maintained sourcing knowledge, keeps the uncertainty visible, and points to the evidence or next tool needed before payment.
Supplier and payment risk
Decide what visible supplier signals can and cannot prove before money moves.
4 curated answers
Can Supplymo check a 1688 product before I pay the supplier?
Yes. Supplymo can review the product link, quantity, destination, visible risks, and quote readiness before you pay a 1688 supplier.
Boundary: Final customs, certificates, supplier performance, and delivery outcomes need review and cannot be guaranteed.
Next step: Submit the product link for Product Check.
What should I send for a product check?
Send the product link or keywords, target quantity, destination country, SKU/options, and any shipping, labeling, repacking, or photo needs.
Boundary: Missing quantity or destination makes cost and shipping answers low confidence.
Next step: Send the missing fields or use the Submit product form.
Can I trust this 1688 supplier before I pay?
Supplymo can review visible supplier signals, listing consistency, MOQ, price tiers, package readiness, and questions that should be confirmed before supplier payment.
Boundary: Visible platform signals reduce uncertainty but do not guarantee supplier quality, delivery behavior, refunds, or after-sales outcome.
Next step: Submit the supplier and product link for pre-payment review.
Should I order a sample before buying from 1688?
Sample first is recommended when product quality, material, size, packaging, compliance, or supplier reliability is uncertain.
Boundary: A sample does not guarantee every bulk unit will match.
Next step: Ask for sample-first review.
Landed cost and shipping readiness
Expose the inputs a cheap listing price leaves out, without pretending an estimate is a quote.
4 curated answers
Is the 1688 price the final cost?
No. The 1688 unit price excludes many possible costs such as MOQ, domestic shipping, warehouse handling, prep, international shipping, duties, taxes, and local delivery.
Boundary: Final cost requires quote and official import review where relevant.
Next step: Use landed cost check before payment.
What makes a landed cost estimate low confidence?
Missing package size, weight, quantity, destination, product category, HS code, or restricted-product signals makes the estimate low confidence.
Boundary: Low confidence estimate should not be used for payment decision alone.
Next step: Collect missing fields first.
What information do you need to estimate shipping?
Destination, quantity, carton count, carton dimensions, gross weight, product type, risk flags, and preferred route are needed for shipping readiness.
Boundary: Without package data, freight estimate is low confidence.
Next step: Ask supplier for carton data.
What if the supplier does not know package size?
Treat shipping as low confidence until package data is confirmed by supplier or measured after warehouse receipt.
Boundary: Guessing package size can distort shipping cost.
Next step: Ask supplier first; measure at warehouse if needed.
Customs, warehouse and evidence boundaries
Separate useful preparation from claims that still need product, document or official review.
5 curated answers
Can Supplymo take photos before shipping?
Yes. Photos can help verify product, carton, label, package condition, and shipment readiness before goods leave China.
Boundary: Photos are basic evidence, not full inspection guarantee.
Next step: Request photo evidence in quote.
What warehouse evidence should I request?
Useful evidence includes product photos, carton photos, labels, count sheet, defect notes, package dimensions, and timeline events.
Boundary: Evidence scope affects cost and timing.
Next step: Choose evidence required in Product Check.
Can Supplymo guarantee customs clearance?
No. Supplymo can prepare a pre-payment risk check and collect required details, but final customs treatment depends on official review.
Boundary: No guaranteed clearance.
Next step: Submit for manual review if customs risk exists.
What products need manual review before buying?
Batteries, wireless, cosmetics, food contact, children products, medical/health claims, liquids, powders, magnets, branded/IP items, and oversized or fragile goods need review.
Boundary: Review does not guarantee acceptance.
Next step: Mark manual review before quote.
What should a transparent 1688 quote include?
It should include source evidence, product/SKU summary, cost breakdown, missing fields, risk tags, confidence level, quote expiry, and next step.
Boundary: A total-only quote is low trust.
Next step: Request itemized quote.
These are editorially selected Answer Bank cards, not customer chat logs. Estimates and high-risk cases still require current product, route and official-source review.
How it works
The assistant searches Supplymo knowledge first, then routes uncertain cases
- 1
Retrieves answer cards
Questions are embedded and matched against the curated Supplymo answer bank, including market-specific cards when available.
- 2
Keeps risk boundaries visible
The assistant does not promise fixed duty, tax, freight, clearance, supplier quality, delivery time, or platform approval.
- 3
Turns gaps into next steps
Missing links, quantity, destination, package data, and restricted-product signals are routed to Product Check or Contact.
FAQ
Questions this assistant can handle
- Can Supplymo answer my 1688 sourcing question automatically?
- Supplymo can answer common pre-payment questions from its curated knowledge base, then route uncertain cases to Product Check or human support.
- Is Supplymo a 1688 agent or sourcing agent?
- Not a full buy-everything agent. Supplymo is a before-payment decision layer: it answers sourcing questions, checks the product and supplier, and can arrange assisted small-batch ordering after you approve — rather than blindly placing and fulfilling orders on your behalf. Use it to decide whether a 1688 order is worth paying for first.
- Can it give exact duty, tax, freight, or clearance outcomes?
- No. The assistant can explain what information is needed and what should be reviewed, but official classification, tax, freight, customs, carrier acceptance, and delivery outcomes are not guaranteed.
- What should I include in my question?
- Include the 1688 link or reference product, destination country, quantity, SKU/options, package data if available, and whether you need shipping, prep, labeling, photos, or quote help.
- Can Supplymo check a 1688 supplier before I pay?
- Yes. Supplymo can review visible supplier signals, product-link consistency, MOQ, SKU/options, package readiness, and questions to confirm before payment. It reduces uncertainty, but it does not guarantee supplier quality, delivery behavior, refunds, or after-sales outcome.
- Can Supplymo help ship a 1688 order to my 3PL after the supplier check?
- Supplymo can help plan China receiving, carton evidence, prep, labels, CBM, and route handoff to a 3PL or warehouse when the destination rules are clear. Final shipping cost, carrier acceptance, warehouse acceptance, and delivery timing still need quote and manual review.
Trust boundary
- No supplier payment is created by submitting a product clue.
- No lowest-price, supplier-quality, customs, tax, freight, delivery-time, or platform-approval guarantee.
- Manual review is required when product, supplier, customs, prep, route, or restricted-goods signals are unclear.
Output: Written decision record, not a fake final quote.
Handoff: Human review when facts are missing or risk is high.
Start with the decision you are trying to make
The assistant is useful when the question is concrete: what is missing, what could change cost, what risk needs review, and what should happen before supplier payment.