Southeast Asia Brand Launch Battle: How to Break Through Customs Barriers in 6 Countries with Lazada/Shopee Dedicated Logistics

Introduction: Dedicated Logistics – The “Customs Clearance Key” for Southeast Asian Cross-Border Business

The six Southeast Asian countries (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam), with a population base of 650 million and an e-commerce market growing at over 20% annually, have become a must-win market for brands’ global expansion. However, the “one country, one policy” customs rules, complex tax systems, and frequently changing compliance requirements have left 72% of new entrants facing issues such as cargo detention, fines, or even cargo destruction (data from the 2025 Southeast Asia E-Commerce Logistics White Paper).

Lazada’s LGS (Lazada Global Shipping) and Shopee’s SLS (Shopee Logistics Service), as the official dedicated logistics services of the platforms, have increased the customs clearance pass rate from 65% (with ordinary logistics) to over 92% through in-depth connections with customs authorities in the six countries. This article will break down the core path for brands to enter Southeast Asia using dedicated logistics from three dimensions: deconstructing customs barriers, analyzing the logic of dedicated logistics clearance, and providing scenario-based practical solutions.

I. Core Differences in Customs Barriers and Clearance Pain Points Across the Six Southeast Asian Countries

Due to differences in economic development levels, industrial protection policies, and customs governance capabilities, the six Southeast Asian countries have formed differentiated customs clearance barrier systems. Brands must accurately identify the core obstacles in each country to develop targeted strategies.

(1) Four Typical Types of Customs Barriers in the Six Countries

1. High Tariffs and Strict Declaration Barriers (Indonesia, the Philippines)

Indonesia imposes a 10%-40% import tariff + 11% VAT + 2.5% income tax on beauty and 3C products, and requires all imported goods to be declared via NPWP (Taxpayer Identification Number). Non-compliant declarations may result in a fine of 50% of the cargo value. The Philippines implements 100% unpacking inspection for parcels exceeding 10,000 pesos, and any deviation of declared value from the actual value by more than 10% will trigger cargo detention.

2. Product Access and Certification Barriers (Thailand, Vietnam)

Thailand mandates TISI certification for electronic products and FDA registration for beauty products; uncertified goods are classified as “prohibited items”. Vietnam implements quota management for textiles and requires a Certificate of Origin (Form E) to enjoy ASEAN tariff preferences; missing certificates will lead to a 30% tariff increase.

3. Clearance Efficiency and Process Barriers (Malaysia)

Malaysian Customs generally offers fast clearance (3-5 days for ordinary goods), but hub ports like Port Klang often experience clearance delays due to peak-season congestion. During Ramadan in 2025, some cargo was detained at ports for over 15 days. Additionally, Malaysia strictly cracks down on “under-declaration”; declared values lower than 50% of the market price will trigger a customs valuation review.

4. Simplified Processes with High Compliance Requirements (Singapore)

As a free port, Singapore exempts most goods from import tariffs but implements “pre-approval + post-traceability” management for food, pharmaceuticals, and other categories. All imported goods must be labeled with English product information; missing labels risk cargo return.

(2) Three High-Frequency Clearance Pain Points for Brands

According to Q2 2025 data from 100Trans, brands most frequently encounter three types of issues during Southeast Asian customs clearance: first, declaration errors (accounting for 42% of detention causes), mainly manifested in incorrect HS codes and inaccurate declared values; second, lack of certification (28%), concentrated in regulated categories such as 3C and beauty products; third, logistics connection gaps (20%), mostly due to unsynchronized information between first-mile and last-mile logistics leading to customs inspections.

II. Clearance Logic and Core Advantages of Lazada/Shopee Dedicated Logistics

LGS and SLS have built a clearance system adapted to the six Southeast Asian countries through a “platform endorsement + customs connection + full-process control” model. Their core advantages lie in rule adaptation, process simplification, and risk mitigation.

(1) Core Clearance Logic of the Two Dedicated Logistics Services

1. Lazada LGS: “Localized Clearance + Tax-Inclusive” Model

LGS has established official clearance centers in key markets such as Indonesia and Thailand, with direct connections to local customs systems to enable “pre-declaration of data”. Brands only need to fill in basic product information in the backend; LGS automatically matches HS codes for each country, calculates taxes, and supports two models: “seller-paid taxes” and “buyer-paid taxes”. The tax-inclusive model can shorten the clearance cycle to 2-3 days.

2. Shopee SLS: “Forward Warehousing + Multi-Port Clearance” Strategy

SLS has deployed cross-border warehouses in Singapore, Malaysia, and other countries, allowing goods to be pre-stored for “local delivery”. The clearance process is jointly completed by Shopee and third-party customs brokers. For the Indonesian market, SLS launched the “BDI Clearance Scheme”, which increases the clearance pass rate for sensitive categories to 88% through cooperation with local compliant enterprises.

(2) Four Clearance Advantages Compared to Ordinary Logistics

III. Scenario-Based Practice: Operation Manual for Breaking Through Customs in 6 Countries with Dedicated Logistics

Clearance requirements vary across categories and markets; brands need to develop targeted plans based on the characteristics of LGS/SLS. Below are practical strategies for four typical scenarios:

(1) Scenario 1: 3C Products Entering Indonesia – SLS BDI Scheme + Pre-Certification

Case Background: A cross-border brand plans to launch wireless earphones in Indonesia. The product contains lithium batteries (a sensitive category) and needs to address TISI certification and high tariff barriers.

Dedicated Logistics Clearance Strategy:

1. Pre-Certification to Break Through Access Barriers: Complete TISI certification through Shopee’s officially cooperative certification agency, reducing the processing time from 45 days (self-application) to 20 days and cutting certification costs by 30%. Simultaneously apply for a Form E Certificate of Origin to enjoy a 5% tariff reduction within ASEAN.
2. Choose the SLS BDI Clearance Scheme: Ship goods to Shopee’s Batam warehouse in Indonesia, complete declaration via the BDI (Bonded Zone Clearance) model. The system automatically matches HS code 85183000 (exclusive code for earphones) and declares the value based on the “market guide price” recognized by Indonesian Customs (to avoid under-declaration risks).
3. Tax Model Selection: Adopt the “seller-paid tax” model. The SLS system calculates a total tax rate of 27% (tariff + VAT + income tax), which is included in the pricing in advance to prevent buyers from canceling orders due to additional taxes.

Implementation Result: The first batch of 2,000 earphones achieved a 100% clearance pass rate, with a total cycle of 7 days (12 days shorter than ordinary logistics) and no additional costs.

(2) Scenario 2: Beauty Products Entering Thailand – LGS Pre-Declaration + Label Compliance

Case Background: A beauty brand enters the Thai market through Lazada, focusing on facial masks and serums, and needs to address FDA registration and label compliance requirements.

Dedicated Logistics Clearance Strategy:

1. FDA Registration Shortcut: Submit registration applications through Lazada’s officially cooperative local Thai enterprises. Leveraging platform endorsement, the registration cycle is reduced from 60 days to 30 days, and the success rate is increased from 60% (self-application) to 95%.
2. Application of LGS Pre-Declaration System: Upload product ingredient lists, registration certificates, and other documents through the LGS backend 24 hours before shipment. The system pushes data to Thai Customs in advance to achieve “clearance upon arrival”.
3. Label Compliance Optimization: Follow the Thai label template provided by LGS, mark bilingual information (English + Thai) including ingredients, shelf life, and importer details, and attach LGS exclusive traceability codes to avoid detention due to label issues.

Implementation Result: 98% clearance pass rate, with a single shipment clearance time shortened to 2 days and FDA registration costs reduced by 25%.

(3) Scenario 3: Home Goods Entering Malaysia – Forward Warehousing + Peak-Season Avoidance

Case Background: A home goods brand plans to stock up before Ramadan in Malaysia. The products include glassware (fragile items), requiring avoidance of port congestion and under-declaration risks.

Dedicated Logistics Clearance Strategy:

1. SLS Forward Warehouse Deployment: Send 80% of inventory to Shopee’s Kuala Lumpur warehouse in Malaysia 30 days in advance to enable “local delivery”. The clearance process is completed when goods enter the warehouse, avoiding pre-Ramadan clearance peaks.
2. Precise Control of Declared Value: Refer to the Malaysian similar product declaration database provided by the SLS backend, set the declared value of glass vases at 80 MYR/piece (in line with market price ranges), and indicate purposes such as “samples” or “promotional items” in commercial invoices (non-profit purposes reduce inspection probability).
3. First-Mile Logistics Connection: Select first-mile freight forwarders recommended by SLS, adopt the “air freight + advance clearance” model. Goods take only 3 days to fly from Guangzhou to Kuala Lumpur, with real-time synchronization of first-mile and last-mile logistics information through the SLS system to avoid information gaps.

Implementation Result: No cargo detention during Ramadan, 100% clearance pass rate, stable delivery time of 2-3 days, and a 20% increase in customer satisfaction.

(4) Scenario 4: Food Products Entering Singapore – LGS Compliant Declaration + Full-Process Traceability

Case Background: A food brand sells instant bird’s nest in Singapore through Lazada, requiring compliance with food import approval and label requirements.

Dedicated Logistics Clearance Strategy:

1. Pre-Approval to Break Through Access Barriers: Connect with Singapore Food Agency (SFA) through LGS, submit product composition analysis reports, production licenses, and other documents to complete import registration. The approval cycle is reduced from 20 days to 10 days.
2. Compliant Declaration to Avoid Risks: Accurately fill in HS code 04100010 (exclusive code for bird’s nest) in the LGS backend, declare the value based on the CIF price (cost + insurance + freight) recognized by Singapore Customs, and attach the Certificate of Origin and health certificate.
3. Full-Process Traceability Management: Attach LGS exclusive traceability labels containing production batches and importer information. Singapore Customs can query full-process logistics data by scanning the label, reducing inspection probability.

Implementation Result: 95% clearance pass rate, no fines due to compliance issues, stable delivery time within 3 days, meeting Singapore consumers’ dual demands for “timeliness and compliance”.

IV. Risk Prevention and Cost Optimization Tips for Dedicated Logistics Clearance

(1) Prevention Plans for Three Core Risks

1. Declaration Risks: Use the HS code intelligent matching tool of LGS/SLS (with 98% accuracy) to avoid code errors; refer to the declared value range provided by the platform and control deviations within 10%. For high-value goods, attach third-party inspection reports to verify value.
2. Certification Risks: Prioritize certification agencies cooperating with the platform and sign agreements for “full refund if unsuccessful”; for categories requiring long certification cycles (e.g., Thai FDA), initiate the process 3 months in advance to reserve a buffer period.
3. Logistics Connection Risks: Select first-mile freight forwarders recommended by the platform to ensure first-mile logistics information can be connected to the dedicated logistics system; stock up 45 days in advance during peak seasons (e.g., Double 11, Ramadan) to avoid clearance peaks.

(2) Four Practical Tips for Cost Optimization

1. Bulk Shipping to Reduce Unit Costs: Use the “consolidation warehouse” service of LGS/SLS to ship multiple batches of goods together, reducing first-mile freight by 15%-20%; for example, goods shipped to Indonesia with a bulk weight of over 300kg can enjoy first-mile air freight discounts.
2. Reasonable Selection of Tax Models: Adopt the “buyer-paid tax” model for low-value goods (e.g., under $10) and the “seller-paid tax” model for high-value goods (included in pricing); leverage the low tax policies of Singapore and Malaysia to prioritize high-tax categories in these markets.
3. Leverage Platform Subsidy Policies: Pay attention to logistics subsidy programs of Lazada/Shopee, such as Shopee’s SLS freight subsidy for new sellers (covering up to 50%) and Lazada’s quarterly LGS clearance fee reduction programs.
4. Inventory Turnover Optimization: Predict sales in each country using platform data analysis tools, deploy 80% of inventory in forward warehouses (e.g., Singapore, Malaysia), and replenish 20% through cross-border dedicated logistics to reduce overstock risks and warehousing costs.

V. Conclusion: The Logic of Southeast Asian Market Entry Behind Dedicated Logistics

The core of Lazada/Shopee dedicated logistics breaking through customs barriers is not simply “channel advantages”, but the platforms’ in-depth participation in Southeast Asian logistics infrastructure construction to build an ecosystem of “rule adaptation + data connection + risk sharing”. For brands, choosing dedicated logistics is not only about solving clearance issues but also accessing the platform’s localized resource network.

In the 2025 Southeast Asian market, brands’ market entry competitiveness has extended from “product strength” to “logistics compliance capability”. Brands that can skillfully use the characteristics of LGS/SLS dedicated logistics and accurately match the customs rules of the six countries will gain an advantage in this market entry battle. After all, in an era where consumers expect “3-day delivery”, a successful customs clearance is an opportunity to win trust.