Wondering what you cannot ship over to Singapore from China? Keep this guide handy whenever you shop on Taobao to ensure that every haul is hassle-free!
It’s often said that anything you want, you’ll probably be able to find on Taobao. While that may be true, the problem lies in exporting these goods internationally. This is due to China’s strict carrier restrictions. To avoid situations whereby your parcel gets stuck at the port (due to prohibited items), and you’re unable to get a refund till the goods go back to the storehouse — we’ve done the research to save you the trouble.
Updates About Storage Fees (入库费)
But first — it’s been brought to our attention that there have been cases of unexpected warehouse fees for bulky items. Why does this happen? Well, sellers are preempting situations (i.e. rejections) that commonly happen when an item is large, especially when you use Cainiao as a shipping option. Thus, these sellers charge a warehouse fee to cover the cost of delivery in case the items get rejected. However, there are moments when they charge just to earn extra cash from consumers who don’t know about this fee. While most sellers won’t charge, we advise shoppers to switch sellers whenever this happens.
❌ Common Prohibited Items At A Glance
| Prohibited items by CAINIAO | Description |
| Food items | Prohibited Items: Include dry or wet food products, like frozen fresh meats and bamboo products etc. *However: Dry food products like tea, coffee, snacks, instant noodles and all meats (even those in self-heating rice) can be shipped in through 3PF. |
| Liquids / Pastes / Powders | Allowed: Pens & Cosmetics Prohibited Items: Anything that’s considered flammable like alcohol, nail polish and perfumes. *However: Liquids like shampoo and conditioner can be shipped through 3PF.. That said, restrictions may vary from company to company. For example, ezbuy allows shipping by sea for bottles not more than 300ml. On the other hand, Oops allows bottles more than 300ml. |
| Weapons / Toy Weapons | Prohibited Items: Include guns, knives, radioactive and explosives items, gaseous materials, chemicals and toxic substances, but also water guns, bb guns, etc. |
| Replicas / Fakes of Branded Goods | Examples of such prohibited items: Nike shoes, Gucci belts, Chanel bags etc. |
| Duplicated Currencies & Gambling Products | – |
| Electronic Devices / Batteries | Prohibited Items: Include electrically charged devices or battery-run watches, electric toys, vacuum cleaners, mobile phones, power banks and more. *However: These are allowed via sea freight. |
| Magnetic Items | Prohibited Items: Include audio equipment such as audio, motors, speaker, compasses, coils, etc. |
| Drugs / Medication / Supplements | Prohibited Items: Include herbal products, addictive narcotics and psychotropic items. |
| Pornographic or Politically Sensitive Material & Media | – |
| Jewellery / Valuable items | Prohibited Items: Include gold, silver, precious stones, etc |
| Video-cassettes & Films | – |
Food Items
Example: Vegetables, frozen meat, dairy products, etc.
Reason: Perishable Goods + Live goods
Liquids / Pastes / Powders
Example: From wine to sunscreen to eye drops, insect repellent and even water beds.
Reason: Might affect transportation safety.
Weapons / Toy Weapons
Example: This includes guns, knives, radioactive and explosives items, gaseous materials, chemicals and toxic substances, but also water guns, bb guns, etc.
Reason: Against the law
Replicas / Fakes of Branded Goods
Example: Fake shoes, bags, etc
Reason: Against the law
Duplicated Currencies & Gambling Products
Example: Fake money, equipment used in gambling
Reason: Against the law
Electronic Devices / Batteries or Items with In-built Batteries
Example: Battery-run watches, electric toys, vacuum cleaners, mobile phones, power banks and more.
Reason: Might affect transportation safety
Magnetic Items
Example: All magnets including items with magnetic stripes.
Reason: Might affect transportation safety
Drugs / Medication / Supplements
Example: All drugs including opium, morphine, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, etc.
Reason: Against the law
Pornographic or Politically Sensitive Material & Media
Example: Materials containing State secrets, including relevant media on China’s political or economic situation.
Reason: Against the law
Valuable Items
Example: This includes gold, silver, precious stones, etc
Reason: Ban on the export of goods catalogue
Video-cassettes & Films
Example: CDs, tapes, etc
Reason: Sensitive goods
Ways To Work Around These Prohibitions
One way would be to let your seller know that you are not local and to remove any sensitive or prohibited items that might not be allowed onto the plane or ship (i.e. magnets, frozen meat, batteries).
Alternatively, placing your order through 3PFS or third party forwarders might help ease all your worries. We recommend checking in with your forwarder, before purchasing, if the item is able to be shipped over.
Just remember that CAINIAO prohibits items based on the keywords present in each product’s title — if they missed any, the prohibited items will end up getting rejected when they receive it. In such situations where your goods get stuck at customs, be prepared for your purchases to get fined or forfeited!
When In Doubt, Ask!
All that said, as a rule of thumb, purchase items only from shops and sellers with a high number of reviews (both good and bad) that include photos. For more tips and guides on Taobao like this, join YouTrip Taobao Alley on Telegram and our very own monthly Taobao newsletter — The Taobao Insider.
And when you do shop at Taobao (for the non-prohibited items), remember to check out with your YouTrip card to score awesome wholesale rates.
If you still haven’t gotten your YouTrip card yet, don’t miss out. Use promo code <TAOBAO5> to sign up and get up to S$5 off your next Taobao purchase with YouTrip!
For more like this, join our Telegram Channel (@YouTripSG) and subscribe to our free weekly newsletter here or down below!
Related Articles:
10 Creative Taobao Home Decor For Your BTO
10 Best Taobao Coffee Tables That Are Gorgeous, Aesthetic & Quirky
10 Bathroom Accessories & Fittings That’s Hotel-Worthy
