Updated
Three methods, three price lists
All shipments leave from our Guangzhou warehouse and are delivered to your door in Singapore. You pick the method when you send your order list.
| Method | Door to door | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air | est. 4–5 working days | S$13.00 for 1 kg, S$21.80 for 2 kg; S$8.80/kg from 5 kg; S$8.50/kg from 31 kg | Small, urgent or valuable parcels |
| Sea by kg | est. 3–4 weeks | S$8.00 first kg + S$2.50 per extra kg | Smaller loads, up to about 33 kg |
| Sea LCL | est. 2–3 weeks | S$90.00 up to 0.4 m³; then by volume | Furniture, bulky items, many boxes |
Transit times are estimates from dispatch to your door, and can be slower at peak times. A local courier delivers on a day and time they set, so we can't promise a delivery date. More in how long shipping takes.
Air freight rates
| Chargeable weight | Air freight |
|---|---|
| 1 kg | S$13.00 |
| 2 kg | S$21.80 |
| 3 kg | S$30.60 |
| 4 kg | S$39.40 |
| 5 kg | S$44.00 |
| 6 kg | S$52.80 |
| 7 kg | S$61.60 |
| 8 kg | S$70.40 |
| 9 kg | S$79.20 |
| 10 kg | S$88.00 |
| 11–30 kg | S$8.80 × kg |
| 31 kg and up | S$8.50 × kg |
- 1 to 4 kg: S$13.00 for the first kg, then S$8.80 for each extra kg.
- 5 to 30 kg: S$8.80 for every kg. The first-kg charge no longer applies, which is why 5 kg (S$44.00) costs only S$4.60 more than 4 kg (S$39.40).
- 31 kg and up: S$8.50 for every kg.
When air makes sense, and what shouldn't fly, is on our air freight page.
Sea freight rates
Sea by kg
S$8.00 for the first kg, then S$2.50 for each extra kg. Est. 3–4 weeks.
| Chargeable weight | Sea by kg |
|---|---|
| 1 kg | S$8.00 |
| 2 kg | S$10.50 |
| 5 kg | S$18.00 |
| 10 kg | S$30.50 |
| 20 kg | S$55.50 |
| 33 kg | S$88.00 |
| 34 kg and up | ships as Sea LCL (from S$90.00) |
We never charge more than S$90.00 by kg. From 34 kg the by-kg price would pass that, so the shipment goes as Sea LCL, which starts at a flat S$90.00.
Sea LCL, by volume
LCL means "less than container load": your boxes share a container and you pay for the space they take. Est. 2–3 weeks.
| Chargeable volume | Sea LCL |
|---|---|
| Up to 0.4 m³ | S$90.00 flat |
| 0.5 – 1 m³ | S$138.00 flat |
| 1.1 – 10 m³ | S$138.00 per m³ |
| 10.1 m³ and up | S$136.00 per m³ |
Up to 1 m³ the price is flat: S$90.00 to 0.4 m³, S$138.00 from there to 1 m³. Above 1 m³ it's S$138.00 for each m³, and S$136.00 per m³ on the whole shipment once it is over 10 m³. Furniture and bulky goods are covered in sea freight and shipping Taobao furniture.
How the chargeable weight and volume are worked out
Air and Sea by kg charge the higher of two weights, each rounded up to the next whole kg:
- Actual weight, on the scale. 5.3 kg is charged as 6 kg, 0.4 kg as 1 kg.
- Volumetric weight = length × width × height in cm ÷ 5,000.
Example: a light, bulky box
A box of 47 × 30 × 70 cm that weighs 9.5 kg has a volumetric weight of 19.74 kg, which rounds up to 20 kg. The actual weight rounds up to 10 kg. The higher one counts: S$176.00 by air, or S$55.50 by sea.
Sea LCL charges on volume:
- Volume = length × width × height in metres, for every box, added up and rounded up to the next 0.1 m³. So 0.504 m³ is charged as 0.6 m³: S$138.00.
- Heavy loads: we count at most 500 kg per m³. If the weight ÷ 500 is more than the measured volume, that's the volume charged. 600 kg in 0.8 m³ is charged as 1.2 m³: S$165.60.
- An LCL price before loading is an estimate. The final volume is measured when your goods are loaded, so allow 20–30% either way.
The figure we bill on is what we weigh and measure at our warehouse, not a seller's or courier's figure, and not the rough weights shown on Track Parcel. Try your own boxes in the volumetric weight calculator and the CBM calculator.
What's included, and what's extra
The freight covers:
- Shipping from our Guangzhou warehouse to Singapore by the method you chose.
- Customs clearance in Singapore. We handle it.
- Delivery to your door by a local courier, islandwide. Bulky items reach your door when they fit your lift as packed; see Delivery conditions.
- Storage at the warehouse for up to 45 days while your other orders arrive.
- Weighing and measuring. If you ask for a weight check, we send you both the air and the sea price at no charge.
Extra, on our invoice:
- Import tax: 9% of the value of your goods, on every shipment.
- Fees, only when they apply:
| Fee | Amount | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Extra-long (over 140 cm, or 70 cm+ on two sides) or extra-heavy (one parcel over 40 kg) | S$60.00 once per shipment | Air and Sea by kg |
| Delivery to a 09xxxx postcode | S$35.00 | All |
| Wrong Normal / Sensitive declaration | S$10.00 per parcel resent | All |
| Return a parcel to the seller in China | S$5.00 + China courier cost | On request |
- Wooden frame for fragile goods, on request. It's about S$40–80 per m³, and we confirm the cost once the goods reach the warehouse.
- Premium cover, optional: 10% of the declared goods value. By default, compensation is 3 times the shipping fee or the declared value, whichever is lower. Fragile items and minor cosmetic damage aren't covered; see our Terms.
Not on our invoice:
- Delivery within China. What a seller charges to send your order to Guangzhou is between you and the seller. Many listings include it.
- The local courier's own charges, paid to them: special equipment for a single piece over 60 kg, or delivery to a mall or a building with fixed delivery hours. We can't confirm these in advance, so tell us before we ship.
Sensitive goods (batteries, liquids, cosmetics, packaged food) ship at the same rates as Normal goods. They must be declared. See what can't be shipped before you buy.
Import tax
Singapore charges 9% import tax. With us it's 9% of the value of your goods, air or sea, and it isn't added on the freight. We pay it on your behalf and list it on the invoice next to the freight, so there's nothing to pay at your door. Goods worth S$200.00 carry S$18.00 of tax; goods worth S$800.00 carry S$72.00. Declare what you paid for the goods. The detail is in import tax on goods from China.
Worked examples: the total you'd pay
1. Air, a small parcel
Clothes worth S$60.00, 2 kg, in a small box. Freight S$21.80 + import tax S$5.40 = S$27.20.
2. Air, a light but bulky box
Toys worth S$150.00 in a 40 × 30 × 30 cm box that weighs 4 kg. Volumetric weight: 40 × 30 × 30 ÷ 5,000 = 7.2 kg, rounded up to 8 kg. That's higher than 4 kg, so it's charged as 8 kg. Freight S$70.40 + import tax S$13.50 = S$83.90.
3. Sea by kg
Homeware worth S$200.00 in a 50 × 40 × 30 cm carton that weighs 12 kg. Volumetric weight: 50 × 40 × 30 ÷ 5,000 = 12 kg, the same as the actual weight, so it's charged as 12 kg. Freight S$8.00 + 11 × S$2.50 = S$35.50, + import tax S$18.00 = S$53.50.
4. Air, with a long item
A curtain rod worth S$40.00, packed at 150 × 10 × 10 cm, 3 kg. Volumetric weight: 150 × 10 × 10 ÷ 5,000 = 3 kg, so it's charged as 3 kg. It's over 140 cm long, so the S$60.00 fee applies once. Freight S$30.60 + fee S$60.00 + import tax S$3.60 = S$94.20.
5. Sea, heavier than the by-kg limit
Books and kitchenware worth S$300.00: 40 kg in cartons that add up to 0.2 m³. At 34 kg and above, a sea shipment goes as Sea LCL. 0.2 m³ is within the first band, so freight is a flat S$90.00, + import tax S$27.00 = S$117.00.
6. Sea LCL, furniture
A sofa worth S$800.00, packed at 200 × 90 × 80 cm. Volume: 2 × 0.9 × 0.8 = 1.44 m³, rounded up to 1.5 m³. Freight 1.5 × S$138.00 = S$207.00, + import tax S$72.00 = S$279.00. Delivered to a 09xxxx postcode, add S$35.00: S$314.00. The long-item fee isn't charged on Sea LCL.
These are estimates from the sizes and weights given. Your invoice uses what we weigh and measure. For a few small orders, see small parcel shipping.
How the invoice and payment work
- Check the rates. A quote is optional. If you'd like one, send us the weight and size of each parcel and we'll estimate air and sea.
- Send your order list on WhatsApp once all your parcels have arrived: Air, Sea or Sea (CBM), Normal or Sensitive goods, your tracking numbers, your name, Singapore address and phone number, and the total value of your goods.
- We weigh and measure the shipment and send your invoice: freight, plus 9% import tax on the goods value, plus any fee that applies. Invoices go out in a daily evening batch.
- Pay within 24 hours by PayNow or bank transfer to PAOTUI.SG, UEN 53418378J. We don't take credit cards.
- We send your tracking number once it's paid, then ship, clear customs and deliver.
- Not sure between air and sea? Write Weight check as the first line of your order list and we send both prices. After a weight check the shipment is sealed, so items can't be added or removed.
- Several invoices can be paid in one transfer.
- Company invoice: put the company name as the recipient in your order list.
- Add-on charges that come up when we measure, such as the long-item fee or a wooden frame, are also payable within 24 hours.
The whole process, with screenshots, is in how to ship from China to Singapore, step by step.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to ship from China to Singapore?
By air: S$13.00 for 1 kg, S$44.00 for 5 kg, S$88.00 for 10 kg. By sea (by kg): S$8.00 for 1 kg, S$18.00 for 5 kg, S$30.50 for 10 kg. Sea LCL for bulky loads starts at S$90.00 for up to 0.4 m³. Add 9% import tax on the value of your goods.
What is the Taobao shipping fee to Singapore?
With us, the same rates as any other China shop: you pay by the chargeable weight or volume of your shipment, from S$13.00 by air or S$8.00 by sea for 1 kg. What the Taobao seller charges for delivery to our Guangzhou warehouse is separate, and many listings include it.
What is the shipping rate per kg from China to Singapore?
Air: S$8.80 per kg from 5 kg and S$8.50 per kg from 31 kg. Below 5 kg, the first kg is S$13.00 and each extra kg is S$8.80. Sea by kg: S$8.00 for the first kg and S$2.50 for each extra kg.
How much is sea freight per CBM from China to Singapore?
S$90.00 flat for up to 0.4 m³, S$138.00 flat up to 1 m³, then S$138.00 per m³, and S$136.00 per m³ on the whole shipment once it is over 10 m³. Volume is rounded up to the next 0.1 m³.
Is import tax included in the shipping rates?
No. Import tax is 9% of the value of your goods, shown as its own line on the invoice. It isn't charged on the freight.
Are there other charges on top of the freight?
Import tax on every shipment, and four fees that apply only in certain cases: S$60.00 once per shipment for an extra-long or extra-heavy parcel on air or sea by kg, S$35.00 for delivery to a 09xxxx postcode, S$10.00 per parcel resent after a wrong declaration, and S$5.00 plus the China courier's cost to return a parcel to a seller. A wooden frame and premium cover are optional.
Is it cheaper to ship by air or by sea?
Sea costs less at every weight: 10 kg is S$30.50 by sea and S$88.00 by air, a gap of S$57.50. Air is faster: about 4–5 working days, against about 3–4 weeks for sea by kg. These times are estimates.
How do I pay, and can I use a credit card?
By PayNow or bank transfer, within 24 hours of the invoice and before we dispatch. We don't take credit cards.