Many multinational companies are attracted by the myriad of investment and tax incentives as well as the ease of doing business in Singapore, and have chosen to site their distribution hubs and regional headquarters here, optimizing their supply chain management and tax liabilities in the region.

Bryan Cave International Trade has extensive customs, trade and investment expertise in Singapore. Our consultants include former Singapore customs and trade officials and practitioners with years of experience working on Singapore matters. We assist clients to structure their business operations in Singapore to capitalize on various tax benefits while ensuring compliance with the governing laws and regulations. We also represent clients in dealing with investigations and enforcement actions initiated by Singapore authorities.

Customs Compliance & Advisory

Bryan Cave International Trade provides assistance in identifying cost savings opportunities, reviewing and implementing customs compliant systems, as well as managing potential liabilities. Specifically, BCIT assists clients in:

• Reviewing importations to ensure that compliance with Singapore Customs’ rules and regulations;

• Reviewing transaction, documentation, supply chain, correspondences, internal controls and systems, contracts and agreements, and financial flows, identifying the cost-savings opportunities as well as assessing the risks;

• Reviewing and updating transfer pricing policies from the perspective of indirect tax planning and assisting in risk analysis and business planning;

• Determining the declared value of imports for customs purposes. This includes advice relating to dutiable elements not included in the invoice price as well as possible exclusion of certain costs, partially or wholly, from the transaction value resulting in lower customs value and thus, reduced payable duty/tax;

• Determining/verifying the origin of the goods pursuant to relevant rules of origin to exercise the appropriate import duty reduction privileges;

• Reviewing exportations to ensure compliance with export control requirements;

• Developing a reliable and practical internal system to ensure customs compliance;

• Identifying the best approach to take when engaging Singapore Customs on specific customs matters, ensuring that the applicable evidence, documentation and/or justification is put forward to obtain the correct outcome; and

• Dealing with investigations and enforcement actions initiated by Singapore authorities.

Strategic Business Advisory

Bryan Cave International Trade works with clients to develop the most optimal solution for their investment and business with regard to operating in Singapore and around the Asian region. We advise clients on:

• Identifying the incentives, restrictions and requirements when establishing manufacturing, logistics, administrative, treasuring and other business functions and supply chain planning operations in Singapore;
• Structuring their operations to capitalize on certain special schemes, such as bonded warehouse schemes, free zones and export processing zones, as well as assisting clients to obtain the official approvals on participation in the schemes; and
• Reviewing transaction, documentation, supply chain and financial flows, identifying cost-savings opportunities as well as assessing the risks; and
• Integrating their Singapore operations into their global business network.

WTO & FTA Advice

Singapore has an extensive network of free trade agreements (“FTAs”) with at least 28 countries and access to 60 per cent of the world's gross domestic product. Companies cannot afford to ignore existing and future bilateral, regional and multilateral agreements when making investment decisions and planning corporate strategies. Many of Bryan Cave International Trade’s consultants are former trade and investment officials with experience negotiating free trade agreements (“FTAs”) and at the World Trade Organization (“WTO”). We assist clients in:

• Monitoring the status and direction of Singapore’s on-going FTA discussions and analyzing the implications of the on-going discussion in relation to a client’s business and operations;

• Providing insights and recommendations on the interpretation and application of the various bilateral and regional FTAs and the WTO Agreements that Singapore has entered into;

• Identifying and assessing areas/issues that are of particular concern/interest, including existing and potential trade barriers, and engaging the relevant authorities to take these concerns/interests into consideration in trade negotiations

• Reviewing government programs relating to the industrial and services sectors for compliance with WTO rules and FTA obligations;

• Avoiding potential WTO-related problems in transactions (e.g., addressing discriminatory regulations and barriers in the services and other sectors), as well as on leveraging on WTO rules to obtain fair treatment and/or to increase market access; and

• Devising investment schemes, incentive programs and other tax and regulatory structures that are compliant with WTO rules and FTA requirements for presentation to the government.

Anti-Illicit Trade Strategy

Bryan Cave International Trade is tapped into an extensive investigative network to assist clients to:

• Mapping out the supply chain network for illicit goods, from retailer to wholesaler to warehouse through covert surveillance of persons involved in the transportation of contraband in order to identify the storage facilities and their distribution and export network;

• Tracing and identifying factories producing various types of counterfeit products and brands, as well as determine the size and product scale of the factories identified;

• Identifying the weak link in their product integrity;

• Developing detailed countermeasures, including raids, targeting manufacturers and other players identified;

• Identifying the best approach to take when engaging the relevant authorities;

• Sharing the intelligence gathered with the relevant authorities;

• Engaging and supporting the relevant authorities in their conduct of anti-illicit trade investigations within the constraints of domestic laws.