Three people and a Singapore-registered company were charged on Friday (14 August) over an alleged scheme to pass off mattresses made in China as Singapore-origin goods when exporting them to the United States.
According to Singapore Customs, investigators found “Made in Singapore” stamps on packaging for mattresses that had actually been manufactured in China.
The alleged scheme involved about S$1.9 million worth of goods and was supposedly intended to avoid US import duties.
All four accused parties have only been charged. The allegations have not been proven in court.
Alleged Scheme Ran for More Than a Year
Singapore Customs began investigating the exports in February 2026.
The agency said the alleged scheme operated between August 2024 and September 2025.
Those charged were Singapore permanent resident Yin Yuxi, 28, Chinese national Xue Xin, 37, Singaporean Bernard Koh Wee Yiap, 54, and Healthy Living Biotech, a company registered in Singapore.
Their charges concern alleged false declarations and statements, as well as the application of incorrect trade descriptions to goods.
Healthy Living Biotech, Yin and Koh also face charges connected to a separate alleged scheme involving the under-declaration of the company’s imports.
This allegedly allowed approximately S$111,000 in Goods and Services Tax to be evaded.
Why Changing a Product’s Origin Matters
A product’s declared country of origin can affect the import duties imposed when it enters another country.
Sending goods through Singapore does not automatically make them Singapore-made. Their origin generally depends on where they were manufactured or substantially transformed, rather than where they were repackaged or exported.
Falsely presenting Chinese goods as originating elsewhere could therefore allow an importer to avoid higher duties imposed on products from China.
Singapore Customs said falsifying trade declarations and misusing Certificates of Origin could undermine confidence in international trade documents and damage Singapore’s reputation as a reliable trading hub.
Case Comes Amid Fresh US Scrutiny
The charges were filed one day after the Trump administration named Singapore among more than 40 economies considered at elevated risk of being used for illegal transhipment.
Illegal transhipment involves routing goods through another country, or making limited changes to them there, to conceal their true origin and qualify for lower US tariffs.
However, the White House report categorised Singapore as an economy that could be an attractive target for such rerouting because of its access to the US market. That classification does not mean Singapore or legitimate Singapore businesses were collectively found to have participated in tariff evasion.
In a response reported by CNA on 15 August, Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry said companies moving goods through Singapore must comply fully with local laws and regulations.
It added that Singapore does not condone the use of fraudulent methods to circumvent another country’s rules and would act against violations of its laws.
What Penalties Could Apply
Anyone convicted of making false declarations or statements under the Regulation of Imports and Exports Act may be fined up to S$10,000, jailed for up to two years, or both.
Offences involving incorrect trade descriptions or false statements in applications for Certificates of Origin can carry a fine of up to S$100,000 or three times the value of the affected goods, whichever is higher. Offenders may also be jailed for up to two years.
Fraudulent evasion of duty or GST carries a possible jail term of up to 12 months and a fine of up to 20 times the amount evaded.
