Sailing schedules from Hai Phong to Singapore

HHIT (Hateco Haiphong International Container Terminal) sits in the deep-water Lach Huyen area. It opened in April 2025 as a joint venture with APM Terminals, part of A.P. Moller-Maersk. APM Terminals says the terminal has been selected for the Gemini network run by Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd. The quay is 900 m long and takes vessels up to 200,000 DWT.

On Maersk's current schedule, ships run direct from Lach Huyen to Singapore with no transhipment. About 1 sailings a week are operated by Maersk, with transit of 4 to 7 days. Departures are sparse, so a missed cut-off means waiting a week for the next vessel.

The booking must name HHIT at Lach Huyen, not an in-river terminal such as Tan Vu, so the truck delivers to the right yard before cut-off. Trucks from industrial parks cross the Tan Vu - Lach Huyen bridge, so plan the schedule backward from cut-off. Space is tight before Tet and in Q4, so book earlier in those periods.

Before finalizing documents, ask the buyer whether the cargo is for use in Singapore or will be forwarded or re-exported to a third country.

Under Singapore Customs rules, goods arriving by sea or air first enter a Free Trade Zone (FTZ), where duty and GST are suspended. Payment is due only when the goods are consumed inside the FTZ or released into the local market for sale or consumption.

Transhipment cargo is exempt from duty and GST, but it needs a transhipment permit lodged through TradeNet. The declarant needs a UEN, a customs account and registration as a declaring agent or transhipment agent. Cargo that does not qualify as transhipment still needs both an import permit and an export permit, even while inside the FTZ.

For cargo used in Singapore, the consignee lodges an import permit through TradeNet before the goods arrive. Only liquor, tobacco, motor vehicles and petroleum products attract duty; other goods bear 9% GST. Form D matters only for dutiable goods and is now transmitted electronically via ASW.

Check early whether household electrical products fall under Controlled Goods. The Consumer Product Safety Office (Enterprise Singapore) administers 33 categories under the Consumer Protection (Safety Requirements) Regulations (CPSR), split into three risk levels: low, medium and high. Examples include fans, rice cookers, air conditioners and desk lamps.

To sell these goods, the importer or retailer must register as a Registered Supplier, then register each product before sale. Low-risk products need a Supplier's Declaration of Conformity (SDoC). Medium- and high-risk products need a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) issued by a designated conformity assessment body. Registered products carry the SAFETY Mark.

The Vietnamese factory prepares the technical file and the test reports to the IEC standards the buyer requires. Ask the buyer which standards apply before the cargo ships.

With a short transit, documents have to move ahead of the cargo. Send the container and seal numbers to the consignee early so they can lodge the permit before the vessel reaches Singapore. Who pays Singapore-side charges (THC, D/O) depends on the incoterms, so spell it out in the contract. For transhipment cargo, the declarant must keep records for at least 5 years, as Singapore Customs requires.

Homexim books FCL and LCL ocean freight from Hai Phong to Singapore, clears export customs in Vietnam and dispatches container trucks to Lach Huyen. Each shipment has one owner from start to finish, so the shipper deals with a single contact. Quotes itemize every charge, so the shipper can see what each line pays for.