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Selling consumer products in Singapore

In Singapore, the Singapore Food Agency regulates food and food contact articles; the Health Sciences Authority, cosmetics and health supplements; the Animal and Veterinary Service, pet food. The Consumer Product Safety Office runs the SAFETY Mark and general product safety, IMDA telecom equipment, and NEA chemicals, energy labels, e-waste and packaging.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Food and food contact articles
Singapore Food Agency (SFA)
Cosmetics and health supplements
Health Sciences Authority (HSA)
Pet food
Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS), National Parks Board
Product safety
Consumer Product Safety Office (CPSO), overseen by CCS
Telecom equipment
Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA)
Chemicals, energy, e-waste, packaging
National Environment Agency (NEA)

By product

What each kind of product has to meet in Singapore.

Before a product goes on sale

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Which product class is it, and which agency regulates it? Read more
  2. 2Does the importer need a licence, registration or permit for each consignment? Read more
  3. 3Is it a Controlled Good needing the SAFETY Mark, or a general consumer good? Read more
  4. 4Does the product or its maker fall under NEA's energy, chemical or e-waste rules? Read more
  5. 5Does the business report its packaging to NEA? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Who regulates what

The agencies behind each product class.

  • SFA regulates food, beverages, food contact articles and feed for food-producing animals, under the Sale of Food Act 1973 and the Food Regulations.
  • HSA regulates cosmetics under the Health Products Act and the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive regulations, and sets requirements for health supplements.
  • The Animal and Veterinary Service of the National Parks Board regulates the import of pet food and feed for non-food producing animals.
  • The CPSO, overseen by the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore, administers the SAFETY Mark scheme and the Consumer Goods Safety Requirements Regulations.
  • IMDA registers telecommunication equipment; NEA controls hazardous substances, energy labelling, e-waste and packaging reporting.

How we help: Compliant Always records which agency and which rules apply to each product, with the official source for each. Ask about this

Import licences and permits

What an importer needs before goods arrive.

  • Traders licensed or registered with SFA may import food for commercial sale, and each consignment needs an import permit.
  • Importers of processed food and food contact articles hold SFA's Registration to Import Processed Food Products and Food Appliances.
  • Each consignment of pet food needs a Cargo Clearance Permit, which also serves as the AVS import permit.
  • Cosmetics are notified to HSA before supply, and hazardous substances under NEA control need a licence to import.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps each licence, registration and permit with the products and consignments it covers, and shows which are missing or expiring. Ask about this

Product safety

Controlled Goods and general consumer goods.

  • 33 categories of household electrical, electronic and gas products are Controlled Goods: tested, registered with the CPSO and marked with the SAFETY Mark before sale.
  • Other consumer goods, such as toys, apparel and furniture, meet an applicable ISO, IEC, EN or ASTM standard under the CGSR, with no pre-market registration.
  • The CPSO can stop the sale of unsafe goods, publicise them and direct suppliers to warn users.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the test reports and registrations behind each product, ready when the CPSO asks. Ask about this

Energy, chemicals, e-waste and packaging

NEA's rules that cut across product classes.

  • Regulated appliances such as air-conditioners, refrigerators and televisions carry the Energy Label, with suppliers and models registered with NEA.
  • Producers of regulated electrical and electronic products register with NEA under the Resource Sustainability Act and declare what they supply each year.
  • Companies with annual turnover above S$10 million that supply goods in Singapore and import or use packaging report packaging data and 3R plans to NEA each year.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps your registrations and packaging data by product, ready for each yearly report to NEA. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ImporterLicences, registrations and permits for each consignment, and the safety of what it brings in.Licences and permits kept with the products they cover.
Manufacturer or brandFormulas, labels, test reports and claims.Specifications and reports read against the rules that apply.
Registered SupplierSAFETY Mark registration of Controlled Goods.Certificates and renewal dates kept by model.
Retailer or online sellerSelling only goods that meet the rules, and acting on a safety problem.Product documents shown when a buyer asks.

Questions businesses ask

Who regulates food in Singapore?
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA), under the Sale of Food Act 1973 and the Food Regulations. SFA also regulates food contact articles that need no electricity.
Who regulates cosmetics in Singapore?
The Health Sciences Authority, under the Health Products Act and the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive regulations. Each product is notified before supply and renewed yearly.
Who regulates pet food in Singapore?
The Animal and Veterinary Service of the National Parks Board. Each consignment needs a Cargo Clearance Permit.
What is the SAFETY Mark?
The mark carried by Controlled Goods, 33 categories of household electrical, electronic and gas products registered with the Consumer Product Safety Office before sale.
Do toys and clothing need registration in Singapore?
No. They are general consumer goods under the CGSR, which relies on post-market surveillance. They meet an applicable ISO, IEC, EN or ASTM standard.
Do I need a licence to import food into Singapore?
Yes. Traders licensed or registered with SFA may import food for commercial sale, and each consignment needs an import permit.
Does Singapore have packaging reporting?
Yes. Companies with annual turnover above S$10 million that supply goods in Singapore and import or use packaging report packaging data and 3R plans to NEA each year.
How does Compliant Always help with selling in Singapore?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product, keeps the documents behind each one ready, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in Singapore and what your paperwork needs to show.

Get in touch

No card, no account, and no call to book. Tell us what you make and where you sell it, and we will come back to you.

Get in touch