Importing from China to Australia: Duties, Rules and Steps

What Australian Border Force expects of an importer

Australian Border Force (ABF) requires an Import Declaration for consignments valued over AUD1,000 entering home consumption. Applicable duties, taxes and charges must be paid before release; approved GST deferral is an exception to immediate GST payment.

The goods' owner or an Australian licensed customs broker lodges the declaration. ABF accepts electronic lodgement through the Integrated Cargo System (ICS) and documentary lodgement at an ABF counter. ABF recommends a broker for first-time or infrequent importers.

Air or sea cargo valued at AUD1,000 or less generally requires a Self-Assessed Clearance (SAC) declaration. International mail uses a different process. Overseas sellers may collect GST on low-value consumer purchases at checkout; alcohol and tobacco have different border treatment.

Check restrictions and permissions before paying. Goods requiring an import permit need an Import Declaration or long-format SAC declaration. Biosecurity referrals may require further information.

Duties, GST and the landed cost

There is no single duty rate for everything bought from China. Ask your broker to confirm classification, customs value and duty treatment against the current working tariff and legislation. Check for anti-dumping or countervailing duties, including when claiming free-trade preferences.

The China–Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) provides preferential treatment for qualifying originating goods. A Chinese seller or departure port alone does not establish eligibility. Confirm the origin rules and evidence required; a declaration of origin is subject to specific conditions.

GST on taxable imports is 10% of the taxable import value: customs value, applicable customs duty, transport and insurance to the place of consignment in Australia insofar as not already included, and applicable Wine Equalisation Tax. Ask your broker to calculate it. Preferential customs duty does not itself remove GST.

Request a landed-cost breakdown covering goods, collection, export handling, freight, insurance, Australian destination charges, clearance, applicable duty and GST, biosecurity work and final delivery. Identify fixed, estimated and excluded charges.

Check the product and biosecurity requirements before production

Before approving production, check the requirements for the exact product and intended use. Establish which mandatory safety, testing and labelling requirements apply. Ask for evidence of compliance rather than relying only on supplier assurances.

Use the government's Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON) to check entry conditions, documentation, treatment and permits. Check materials and packaging as well as the product, particularly timber, wooden articles and bamboo packaging.

Check that invoices, packing lists, transport documents, specifications, inspection records and required origin, permit or treatment documents describe the shipment consistently. Resolve discrepancies before dispatch.

What happens in China, and who does it

Agree the supplier checks, specification, approved sample, production checks and loading supervision before ordering. Specify who reports to you and how package counts and any container seal number will be recorded.

Ask Cambridge China Bridge to confirm whether it can support your Australian order and the delivery scope it can quote. Identify the importer and any appointed Australian licensed customs broker. If combining factory orders, agree warehouse receiving checks and loading responsibilities.

For inspection planning, see pre-shipment inspection for Australian buyers. Cambridge China Bridge's published pricing says audits and inspections are usually included for orders placed with it; complex third-party checks cost extra by prior agreement. Confirm the scope for your order.

Choosing a freight forwarder from China to Australia

Give each forwarder the same enquiry: collection address, destination postcode, product and materials, package dimensions, gross weight, stackability, cargo-ready date and delivery requirements. Disclose batteries, liquids and other cargo requiring assessment. Ask whether the quote ends at a port, airport or final address.

Compare full container load (FCL) and less than container load (LCL). FCL uses a container for your shipment; LCL combines cargo from different shippers and requires consolidation and unpacking. Compare charges at both ends, including minimum charges. See how shared-container LCL from China works.

Request an air-freight comparison where appropriate. Ask for chargeable weight, routing, airport handling, clearance and delivery charges. Obtain a dated itinerary rather than relying on a generic transit estimate.

Transit times: use dated carrier information

Maersk's 22 May 2026 launch notice lists Shanghai–Sydney transit times of 14 days on Qilin and 18 days on Dragon, and Shanghai–Melbourne times of 17 and 21 days respectively. These are historical service figures, not door-to-door delivery promises.

Maersk's 21 September 2026 notice temporarily changes Qilin to Shanghai–Hong Kong–Melbourne/Sydney, alternating Australian calls. Check whether your booking is affected before using the launch figures.

For every destination, obtain a dated itinerary for the booked departure and connections. Ask the forwarder to separate sea or flight transit from collection, consolidation, clearance, biosecurity and final delivery.

What to ask before appointing the forwarder

Who contracts with me, issues the transport document and acts as the Australian destination agent? Is a licensed customs broker included, or must I appoint one?

Which carrier, departure port, destination terminal and connections are quoted? How will sailing changes or missed connections be handled?

Are origin handling, destination terminal or warehouse charges, delivery orders, brokerage and delivery included? Which examination, treatment, storage, demurrage or detention charges could be additional?

What free time applies and when does it start? Who arranges container return or LCL collection? Can the delivery vehicle access the address, and who unloads?

What cargo insurance is available, what does it exclude, and how are claims handled? Record the scope and exclusions before paying.

Who you contract with

Establish whether the factory sells directly to you or another business purchases and resells the goods. Record the seller, sourcing provider, payment recipient and responsibilities for defects, inspection, documents and shipping.

Keep the goods contract, sourcing scope and freight quotation consistent. For a port quotation, name the port and delivery term, and identify the destination work you must arrange.

Before commissioning sourcing or quotation checks, request a written scope and fee breakdown. For larger or multi-factory orders, specify supplier comparison, production checks and consolidation responsibilities.