In brief
On 11 June 2026, Singapore Customs issued a media release announcing that three Singapore-registered companies and three individuals had been charged with offences relating to false declarations, false statements and incorrect trade descriptions under the Regulation of Imports and Exports Act 1995 and the Regulation of Imports and Exports Regulations. The charges relate to an alleged scheme involving the false declaration of the origin of mattresses exported from Singapore to the United States, purportedly to circumvent US import duties.
According to Singapore Customs, investigations commenced after it received information suggesting that the mattresses were in fact of Chinese origin but had been labelled and declared as "Made in Singapore".
The alleged misconduct is said to have taken place between August 2022 and June 2025 and involved goods with a total value exceeding SGD 23 million.
In the media release, Singapore Customs emphasised that it views the falsification of trade declarations and the misuse of Certificates of Origin seriously, as such conduct undermines the integrity of international trade documentation and may damage Singapore's standing as a trusted and reliable global trading hub.
What does this mean for businesses?
Against the backdrop of ongoing global trade tensions, this case demonstrates Singapore Customs' efforts to take enforcement action where goods are incorrectly declared as being of Singapore origin, particularly where such declarations may be used to circumvent foreign trade measures or import duties.
Considered alongside Singapore Customs' Circular No. 06/2025, which reminded traders and declaring agents of the requirement of accurately declaring the country of origin of goods, this enforcement action signals Singapore Customs' continued emphasis on the accuracy of origin declarations and the proper use of origin-related trade documentation. Businesses should therefore ensure that their origin declarations are accurate and well-supported based on the applicable rules of origin.
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Wei Lit Wong, Associate, has contributed to this legal update.
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