How to buy internationally on Markato – Markato

Buying internationally on Markato

We understand that buying and importing products internationally can be challenging, rules and documentation requirements vary, depending on:

Your country, its laws and regulations.
The products you are importing
The country of origin of these products

As a retailer on Markato, you are the importer of record. Ensuring you have the right to resell the products you purchase on Markato is your responsibility.

We want to help you feel confident buying from international brands. Below, we have provided guidance on the most common questions we receive from our retailers.

Please note, this resource is non-exhaustive and purely indicative.

How to determine your import requirements

As the importer of record, any retailer buying on Markato internationally is responsible for complying with all laws, rules, and regulations in their country/region for importing the products they choose to purchase from international brands on the platform. This includes but is not limited to: compliance with import rules and regulations, permit and licenses requirements, and other consumer protection law requirements.

To determine if you can import and resell products purchased internationally into your country, we recommend:

Consulting governmental websites to check if there are any restrictions or specific requirements for importing the products you wish to purchase internationally
Look into any license requirements, or permit you may need as an importer when purchasing certain products.
Consulting legal counsel and/or a customs broker to determine your readiness to import given products from a given country.
Looking into potential restrictions enforced by your country, based on the country of manufacturing/origin of the products.

Documentation and compliance requirements for the import of international products

Upon import of products, as the importer, you may be required to provide some information and/or documentation to support customs clearance of your order.

You will find non-exhaustive guidance below, to help understand what falls under your responsibility as the importer, if requested by customs :

Document type	Retailer responsibility	Brand responsibility
Documentation specific to your company (if applicable and required)	✔️
License or permit to import specific controlled products	✔️
Proof of right to resell	✔️
Tax related identification for your company (Tax ID, VAT, EIN, UTR, etc.)	✔️
Importing registration number (EORI, ABN, etc.)	✔️
Completion and Signature of forms for import (TSCA, FSVP, LACEY, ADD/CVD, etc.)	✔️
Packing slip		✔️
Commercial invoice		✔️
Documentation or information specific to manufacturing practices or information (if applicable)		✔️
Product specific documentation (if applicable)		✔️

Markato does not possess or provide documentation or information specific to your company, your right to trade, purchase and import products into your country. This type of documentation has to be provided by yourself as the importer of record.

Country and region specific information

Customs requirements vary from country to country, based on the import country’s regulations. These nuances can be challenging to navigate. The Markato team is happy to provide resources containing non-exhaustive tips and advice for buying internationally.

You can find country and region specific resources below:

Buying and importing into Hong Kong

For Hong Kong users: Hong Kong is a duty-free destination. No duties or taxes will be collected on Markato’s orders into Hong Kong.

Buying and importing into Singapore

Goods and Services Tax (GST) is levied on all goods imported into Singapore. It is calculated based on the customs value of the goods, plus all duties OR the value of the last selling price plus all duties, if there has been more than one sale.

- How do I pay GST on orders in Singapore?

For orders that are shipped to Singapore from outside of Singapore, GST will not be charged by Markato. The current GST rate for Singapore is 8% (increasing to 9% in 2024) so you can estimate the taxes that will apply, however the final tax amount will be determined and charged by the customs agency upon import.

GST will be payable at the time of importation by the retailer. The carrier selected at checkout may recover any customs duties and import GST payable at the border when completing delivery of the goods. They will reach out to you via contact details provided on the commercial invoice to collect your tax.

For more information on GST implications for your business, consult your tax advisor and to learn about general guidance specific to Singapore, please visit:

Singapore import procedures

Singapore customs GST overview

Applying for a GST registration

- What products are strictly regulated in Singapore?

There are 4 categories of dutiable goods when being imported into Singapore:

Intoxicating liquors
Tobacco products
Motor vehicles
Petroleum products and biodiesel blends

Importing cosmetic products

For importing of cosmetic products, your company will need to apply for a HAS license. This can be done online: Applying for a HAS license in Singapore.

For more generic information on goods that are subject to additional duties when importing into Singapore: Singapore customs overview of duties and dutiable goods

Buying and importing into Malaysia

Import Duty (Custom Duty) levied on all goods imported into Malaysia. It is calculated based on either the ad valorem basis, as a percentage of the value of the goods, or on a specific basis, as a fixed sum per unit.

How do I pay Import Duties on orders in Malaysia?

For orders that are shipped to Malaysia from outside of Malaysia, Import Duty will not be charged by Markato. The import duty range can range from 0% to 60% on an ad valorem basis and vary for specific goods on a specific basis, which is categorised based on the Harmonized System Code (HS Code).

Import Duty will be payable at the time of importation by the retailer. The carrier selected at checkout may recover any customs duties and import duty payable at the border when completing delivery of the goods. They will reach out to you via contact details provided on the commercial invoice to collect your tax.

If your company is operating in the free trade zones or free industrial zones, you can be exempted from the import duty. For the full list of free zones, please visit: List of free zones

- What products are strictly regulated in Malaysia?

There are a list of goods when being imported into Malaysia, including:

Intoxicating liquors
Agricultural products
Motor vehicles
Illicit drugs

For the full list of prohibited goods, please visit: Prohibition of Imports

Importing cosmetic product

For importing cosmetic product in Malaysia, a Cosmetic Notification Holder (CNH) is required to notify the product to the Director of Pharmaceutical Services (DPS) through an online portal, before placing it on the market. For more details of CNH, please visit: Cosmetic Product Guideline

Tightly regulated product categories

When importing, you are required to comply with any import regulations as set out by your Government, including, but not limited to, regulations for controlled goods. Importing controlled goods into your country/region may require additional authorization or clearance. Below, we have listed some common controlled goods categories for which additional requirements may apply:

Controlled goods : products that require licenses or permits for import, or additional documentation from the importer.
Dangerous goods (DG): Substances that when transported are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment. Certain dangerous goods that pose risks even when not being transported are known as hazardous materials.
Food products Food product means any substance, other than a substance used primarily for the purpose of imparting flavour, intended to be consumed by humans or animals.
Animal products An animal product is any material derived from the body of an animal, products containing animal substances
Cosmetics and skin products : any substance or mixture intended to be placed in contact with the external parts of the human body.
Plant and seed products
Metal, Gemstones, and jewelry products
Kids and baby products
Toys
Food contact products

Please note, this list is non-exhaustive and purely indicative.

Please note, these categories vary depending on your country.

What happens if customs agencies or carriers require additional information to import my order?

If you order products internationally, and additional information or documentation is required for customs clearance, you might be contacted by a customs agent, carrier or Markato to provide the necessary information to help clear customs.

Here are a few things to keep in mind :

As a retailer, you are the importer, the brand is the exporter.
The customs agent and/or carrier may reach out to you via phone an email thread or in rare instances via letter.
Markato cannot provide : documentation or information specific to your company, your right to trade, purchase and import products into your country. (i.e.: license, permit, certification, import declarations, etc.) This has to be provided by yourself as the importer.
Orders can typically be “stalled” at a border for a limited time, (this tends to vary between 3 and 5 days maximum)
As the importer, it is your responsibility to accept the order, and to facilitate import, providing any information required.

If you are unresponsive, or fail to provide the required information/documentation/license, the customs agency may decide to return the shipment to the sender. This decision is outside of Markato’s control.