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Free Trade Agreements

​​​​SINGAPORE​

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The Singapore‑Australia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) was signed by the Minister for Trade, the Hon. Mark Vaile and his Singaporean counterpart, the Minister for Trade and Industry George Yeo on 17 ​February 2003 in Singapore.

SAFTA entered into force on 28 July 2003.

Agreement to Amend the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement 

The Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, the Hon Steven Ciobo MP and his Singaporean counterpart, the Minister for Trade and Industry Mr Lim Hng Kiang, signed the Agreement to Amend the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement (the SAFTA Amendment Agreement) on 13 October 2016 in Canberra, Australia. 

The SAFTA Amendment Agreement entered into force on 1 December 2017. 

The SAFTA Amendment Agreement introduced new rules of origin for goods that are determined to be Singaporean Originating Goods. These are provided for in Division 1BA of Part VIII of the Customs Act 1901. 

Key changes made by the SAFTA Amendment Agreement were the: 

  • introduction of new rules of origin for goods traded between Australia and Singapore
  • introduction of product-specific rules schedule for goods
  • introduction of easier procedures for claiming preferential tariff treatment for Singaporean originating goods
  • provision of duty-free access for Singaporean originating goods (except for excise equivalent goods). 

The SAFTA Amendment Agreement provided a three year transition period to move to the new rules of origin. This gave importers time to adjust their supply chains and ensured they were not disadvantaged. 

Goods imported after 1 December 2020 cannot use the rules of origin provided for under former Division 1B of Part VIII of the Customs Act 1901 to claim preferential rates of customs duty under the original SAFTA. 

The SAFTA, including the SAFTA Amendment Agreement, can be found at Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement​.​

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Associated guide

The Australian Border Force guide Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement - Procedural Instruction assists in understanding whether goods are eligible to claim preferential rates of customs duty under SAFTA when imported into Australia.

Product specific rules of origin

The document Annex 2: Product Specific Rules of Origin contains the product specific rules of origin that can be used to work out if goods produced using non-originating materials are eligible for preferential rates of customs duty under the SAFTA Amendment Agreement.

The product specific rules of origin for the SAFTA Amendment Agreement are in HS2012.

Integrated Cargo System - claiming preferential rates of customs duty

To claim preferential rates of customs duty under the SAFTA Amendment Agreement, the following codes must be used in the Integrated Cargo System.

Preference scheme type​​​
​​​​Type Description of preference scheme
SFTA Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement
Preference rule types​​​
​​​​Rule type Description of Origin Criteria
WO Wholly obtained goods
WP Goods produced entirely from originating materials
PSR Product specific rule of origin

​For more information, see Claiming preference in ICS.

This guide includes information on codes to use for imports under the original SAFTA, for goods imported prior to 1 December 2020.

Claiming preferential rates of customs duty under SAFTA

A certification of origin is the basis for claiming preferential rates of customs duty under the SAFTA Amendment Agreement.

The certification of origin can be completed by an exporter, producer, importer, or their authorised representative.

The certification of origin must have the data elements as set out in Annex 3-A of Chapter 3 of the SAFTA Amendment Agreement.

Origin waiver benefit for Australian Trusted Traders

Importers that are Australian Trusted Traders are not required to obtain or present a certification of origin to claim preferential rates of customs duty under SAFTA. This is in line with DHAN 2019/23 (see Related Australian Customs Notices). This benefit does not waive the need to meet the rules of origin or consignment provisions of SAFTA.

For more information see Origin Waiver Benefit.

Applying for an origin advice ruling

The ABF will give written advice, upon request, on whether goods are eligible for preferential rates of customs duty under SAFTA. For further information see:

Related Australian Customs Notices

The following Australian Customs Notices relate to SAFTA:

Relevant legislation

The following Acts and Regulations relate to SAFTA:

Implementing legislation

The following relate to the implementation of SAFTA:

Original SAFTA

Associated guides

Related Australian Customs Notices