Importing from China to Australia is a well-trodden path — thousands of Aussie brands do it every day. The process is manageable once you understand the moving parts: freight, customs clearance, duties and taxes, and product compliance. Get these right and your stock arrives on time, correctly costed and ready to sell.
Choosing your freight method
- Sea freight — the most cost-effective for larger or heavier orders. Slower (typically several weeks), but by far the cheapest per unit. FCL (full container) or LCL (shared container) depending on volume.
- Air freight — faster (days, not weeks) and ideal for smaller, higher-value or urgent shipments, at a higher cost per kilo.
- Express courier — great for samples and very small runs.
Consolidating shipments and timing them to your sales velocity is where a good logistics partner saves you real money.
Customs, duties and GST
When goods arrive, they clear Australian customs. Most commercial imports attract import duty (varies by product classification) and 10% GST on the landed value. Accurate tariff classification and paperwork keep clearance fast and penalties away. Build these costs into your landed-cost model from day one so your margins are real, not optimistic.
The paperwork that matters
- Commercial invoice and packing list.
- Bill of lading (sea) or air waybill (air).
- Certificates of origin or compliance where required.
- Any product-specific certifications for your category.
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Product compliance and safety
Australia has specific standards for many product categories — electrical goods, children's products, cosmetics, food-contact items and more. Compliance isn't optional; non-compliant stock can be held or destroyed at the border. The safest approach is to design compliance in from the start, with testing and certification handled before goods ship. This is a core part of our quality and QC process.
Landed cost: the number that actually matters
Your true cost per unit isn't the factory price — it's the landed cost: unit price + packaging + freight + insurance + duty + GST + clearance fees, divided by units. Always price and plan off this number. It's the difference between a product that looks profitable and one that actually is.
Make importing boring (in a good way)
The goal is a supply chain so reliable it's boring — stock lands on time, correctly costed and compliant, every time. That comes from planning freight around demand, getting paperwork right, and building compliance in early. If you'd rather hand the whole thing to a team that does it daily, that's what we're here for.