Trade liberalization and economic reform has always been the core of Australian government policy. Now the focus of Australian trade has shifted to Asia. As one of Australia’s largest trading partners, China's import and export trade with Australia is bound to become increasingly prosperous.

Major ports in Australia

SYDNEY, located in southeastern Australia and Jackson Bay, is the largest city, seaport, economy, transportation and trade center in Australia. There are regular sea and air course connecting Britain, the United States, New Zealand and other countries. It is deep and well equipped. The main port is 18 kilometers-long, mainly export wool, wheat, flour, meat, textiles, imported machinery, oil and so on. And the annual turn volume is over 25 million tons. Sydney is a major financial center in the Asia-Pacific region and the world's seventh largest foreign exchange market. Its stock exchange is the second largest stock exchange in the Asia-Pacific region after Tokyo.

Melbourne, Australia's the second largest city, is the capital of Victoria and the industrial capital of Australia. Melbourne Port is an important support facility for Melbourne industry and trade, the largest modern port in Australia and the export port of wool, meat, fruits and cereals to southeast Australia, as well as an important international trade port.

Brisbane is located in the southeastern part of Queensland on the east coast of Australia. (The full name is THE COMMONWEALTH OFAUSTRALIA) It is the largest seaport in Queensland and the third largest city in Australia. Now it is a commercial and cultural center and it has railways connected to the hinterland of highways. And the major industries include sugar making, wool spinning, meat processing, oil refining, machinery manufacturing, canned fruits, automobile assembly, wood processing, etc.

Adelaide is a port in southern Australia and the metropolis of South Australia. It is located in the coastal plain between the Lofty Mountains and St. Vincent Bay in the southeastern part of the state and borders Toronto River. The port is 12 kilometers away from the urban area in northwest and connected by railways. It is an export port for minerals and agricultural products in South Australia. It was founded in 1836 and is now a hub for economic, transportation, cultural and agro-food products in southeastern Australia. It has developed transportation and the industry is mainly engaged in agricultural machinery, metal processing, automobiles, electrical equipment, textiles and food processing.

Transit time from China port to Australia

Normally, we will ship from Foshan, Shenzhen, Xiamen, Ningbo, Shanghai, Wuhan, Qingdao, Tianjin and Dalian to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth frequently, so we make a list on transit time from the above mentioned ports by our experience.

  • Guangzhou, Shenzhen to Sydney, Melbourne, port to port is 11-15 days.
  • Guangzhou, Shenzhen to Fremont, Brisbane, Adelaide, port to port is 14-18 days.
  • Shanghai, Ningbo to Sydney, Melbourne, port to port is 14-20 days.
  • Shanghai, Ningbo to Fremont, Brisbane, Adelaide, port to port is 18-22 days.
  • Qingdao, Tianjin to Sydney, Melbourne, port to port is 20-25 days.
  • Qingdao, Tianjin to Fremont, Brisbane, Adelaide, port to port is 23-28 days.
  • Guangzhou to Fremont, Brisbane, Adelaide, port to port is 14-18 days.
  • Main shipping company:APL、HPL、YML、COSCO、OOCL、MSK and so on.

What documents are required for customs clearance in Australia?

Now let’s see the necessary documents you need for Australia.

The Import License (if needed) can be issued by the specific authority in charge of the type of goods that are aimed to be imported. It should be providing commercial and financial details on the import process and the goods to be imported which informs about the importer & exporter, the country of origin, the place of arrival and goods’ clearance, the supplier or manufacturer, the type of taxation and tax classification, net and gross weight and quantity, precise description of the products, the total price, the Incoterms and the payment method.

The Certificate of Origin (CO) should come on top of the list when it comes of international trades documents. It is an official document, delivered by a government whom witnessing that the goods traded were obtained or manufactured in a country and precise area.

The Bill of Lading (BL) or Airway Bill is an essential, like the Certificate of Origin. The CO testifies of the identity of your goods, while the BL is witnessing of the identity and information of your cargo. Regarding the content of BL, please check our blog.

The Commercial Invoice will verify if the goods contained in your shipment are following your declaration with this document,, it must given all the information below, to be well-received by customs:

  • Identity of exporter and importer
  • Invoice number
  • Precise description of the products
  • Total and unit price in USD
  • HS code
  • Net and gross weight and quantity
  • Total FOB value
  • Total freight price

Packing List is necessary to provide to custom, especially in case of various products, it should detailed the HS code of the goods you’re transferring.

The Proof of Import is granted by customs officials on the last step of the customs clearing process, after that all the import documents have been evaluated. It is officialese the nationalization of your items in Australia.

Other Documents Required for Customs Clearance

  • The prescription of the Practitioner, in case of medicines imported by individuals
  • All other claimed documents, to meet precise legal requirements for the acceptance of your shipment
  • The MSDS document, if the goods are hazardous

The FAQs for importing into Australia?

Do imported goods need to be declared? Yes. Australia’s Customs & Border Protection department requires the owner of the goods who must be lodged electronically via the department’s Integrated Cargo System (ICS), or you can find a contracted freight forwarder or customs broker will be able to handle this for you.

How much is customs duty threshold?

Yes. All goods imported to Australia are subject to duty, Goods & Services Tax (GST), plus other taxes that may be applicable according to the class of the goods. Along with an import declaration, duties and/or taxes that are applied must be paid before the goods are cleared by Customs.

How is the goods’ value calculated?

Customs use the rate of exchange prevailing on the day of export of the goods (not on the day the goods arrive in Australia) as the exchange rate and valued by Customs & Border Protection at the transaction value in Australian Dollars.

How is the amount of customs duty calculated?

The amount payable is determined by the classification of the goods and other factors including exemptions, concessions & existence of preference schemes.

5.When pays GST?

Aside from a few exemptions, most goods will be subject to GST when imported. GST is applied at 10% of the Australian dollar value of the goods when imported.

What we can offer you?

  • Air freight / Sea freight / Express freight
  • Ship to Amazon warehouse(Amazon FBA forwarding experts)
  • Door to door service(DDU / DDP)
  • Amazon Delivery appointment
  • Import & export declaration
  • Pack, La-belling, Palletize products
  • Complete documentation Service
  • Pick up and delivery
  • Trailers services
  • Warehousing and distribution