Commercial imports
Commercial Imports to Australia — From Purchase Order to Landed Cost
We handle the whole import: booking the freight, chasing your supplier, checking the documents, classifying the goods, lodging the declaration with the Australian Border Force, and delivering to your warehouse. One team, one invoice you can reconcile.
In short
An import program is more than a series of shipments — it is a managed position covering tariff classification, duty and GST, free trade agreement entitlements, supplier coordination and arrival planning. We run inbound programs as end-to-end international logistics management, with the duty position established before you place the order rather than argued after arrival.
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The short answer
What a commercial import actually involves
A commercial import is goods brought into Australia for business use — resale, production inputs or capital equipment. Above a customs value of AUD 1,000 it requires a formal import declaration, and duty and GST are assessed at the border. There is no general import licence in Australia and no importer registration, but there are permit and prohibition rules that attach to specific goods, and the legal responsibility for a correct declaration sits with you as the owner of the goods.
- No import licence required in general — but check permits for your specific commodity
- AUD 1,000 threshold — above it, a full import declaration is required
- GST is 10% of customs value plus freight, insurance and duty
- Duty depends on classification and origin — FTAs frequently reduce it to nil
- You are responsible for the accuracy of the declaration, not your supplier
Before you order
Eight things to settle before you pay a deposit
Almost every expensive import problem is created at the purchase order stage and only discovered at the wharf. This is the checklist we work through with new importers before the first order is placed.
| Decide this | Why it matters at the border |
|---|---|
| The exact tariff classification | Sets the duty rate and any permit or restriction. Guessing here is how importers end up with a retrospective duty bill. |
| Country of origin, not just country of supply | FTA concessions depend on origin rules, and a certificate from the wrong country is worthless. |
| The Incoterm | Determines who pays which leg, where risk transfers, and how much of the cost you can actually control. |
| Whether a permit or treatment applies | Timber, food, chemicals, batteries, therapeutic goods and used machinery all carry conditions. |
| Carton dimensions and pallet configuration | Decides cube efficiency and therefore your freight cost per unit. |
| Whether any part is a dangerous good | Batteries, aerosols, magnets and flammables change the mode, the packing and the price. |
| Australian standards, labelling and origin marking | Compliant at the border but unsellable in Australia is still a loss. |
| Cargo-ready date versus the date you need stock | The gap between these two is your entire planning buffer. |
How we run it
The import program, step by step
Landed-cost quote
You send cargo details and supplier terms. We quote freight, origin charges, terminal charges, customs entry, duty, GST and delivery as one landed figure, with sea and air compared where it is a real choice.
Classification and compliance check
We classify the goods to the tariff, confirm the duty rate, identify any FTA concession you can claim, and flag permits, treatments or restrictions before the order is placed.
Booking and supplier liaison
We book the space and deal directly with your supplier on cargo-ready dates, collection, carton marking and documentation. You are not the messenger between two forwarders.
Document check at origin
Commercial invoice, packing list, transport document, packing declaration and any certificate of origin are checked against each other before the goods sail. Mismatches found here cost nothing; found at the wharf they cost days.
In-transit visibility
Vessel or flight tracking with proactive notice of roll-overs and revised ETAs, plus a rolling view of what is on the water for your planning.
Customs and biosecurity
We lodge the import declaration with the Australian Border Force, apply the FTA concession, manage the packing declaration and handle any biosecurity direction or inspection.
Delivery and reconciliation
Wharf or airport collection, delivery to your dock with the right truck and unloading equipment, then an invoice you can match line by line to the quote.
Cash flow
Three levers most importers are not using
Freight rate negotiation gets all the attention, but these three usually move more money.
Deferred GST
If you are GST registered, lodge monthly and lodge electronically, the ATO Deferred GST scheme moves import GST from the border to your next BAS. For an importer landing containers regularly that is a permanent working-capital improvement, not a one-off saving. We can walk you through the eligibility criteria and the application.
Free trade agreement concessions
Australia has agreements covering China, Japan, Korea, ASEAN, India, the UK, the US, New Zealand, Chile, Peru, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the CPTPP members. A valid origin claim often takes a 5% duty line to nil. It requires the right documentary evidence, which is where most claims fail.
Buying FOB instead of CIF
Under CIF your supplier controls the freight and their nominated agent invoices you destination charges you never agreed to. Under FOB you control the ocean leg and we quote the Australian charges up front. The freight is rarely cheaper under CIF once the arrival invoice lands.
Mode and volume
Matching the shipment to the way you buy
| If you are… | The usual answer | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Placing a first trial order | LCL sea freight, or air if value per kilogram is high | Small volume, and you want to test the product and the supplier before committing to a container |
| Ordering 10–15 cbm regularly | LCL, or a 20ft container if frequency allows consolidation | Below the container crossover, but worth modelling both each time |
| Ordering 25+ cbm regularly | FCL on a standing booking | Lower unit cost, sealed at origin, no deconsolidation delay |
| Buying from several small suppliers | Origin consolidation into one container | One freight charge and one customs entry instead of three of each |
| Replenishing fast-moving stock | A split air and sea program | Sea for the bulk, air for the tail so you never stock out |
| Importing capital equipment | Flat rack, breakbulk or RORO | Out of gauge, and installation timing matters more than freight cost |
Detail on each option: sea freight, air freight, container shipping, LCL shipping, FCL shipping and project cargo.
Where you buy
Import lanes we run most often
Every lane has its own rhythm — factory shutdowns, peak seasons, documentation habits and FTA paperwork. These are the lanes we handle most, and the guides cover the specifics of each. China is the busiest of them, and commercial freight from China covers how we take those shipments on.
- Importing from China — the busiest lane into Australia, ChAFTA concessions, Chinese New Year planning and multi-supplier consolidation
- Importing from the USA — AUSFTA, inland haulage from the interior, and East versus West Coast routing
- All trade routes and lanes — Japan, Korea, India, Germany, Vietnam, Thailand, New Zealand and the rest of Australia’s major import markets
FAQ
Commercial import questions
What is a commercial import?
A commercial import is goods brought into Australia for business purposes — for resale, for use in production, or as capital equipment — as distinct from personal effects. Above a customs value of AUD 1,000 it requires a formal import declaration lodged with the Australian Border Force, and duty and GST are assessed at the border rather than collected by the seller.
Do I need an import licence to import into Australia?
Australia has no general import licence and no importer registration requirement, which surprises many first-time importers. What matters instead is whether your specific goods are prohibited, restricted or subject to a permit — for example some chemicals, weapons parts, certain foods, therapeutic goods, asbestos-containing products and some timber species. You will also need an ABN to claim GST credits and to use deferred GST. We check permit requirements before you order, not after the goods arrive.
How much duty and GST will I pay on imported goods?
GST is 10% of the value of the taxable importation, which is the customs value plus international transport and insurance plus any duty payable. Duty depends on the tariff classification and the country of origin — general rates are commonly 0% or 5%, textiles, clothing and footwear sit higher, and a valid free trade agreement claim often reduces the rate to nil.
Can I defer paying GST on imports?
Yes. If you are registered for GST, lodge activity statements monthly and lodge electronically, you can apply to the ATO for the Deferred GST scheme, which moves import GST from the border to your BAS. For an importer running regular containers it is one of the biggest cash-flow improvements available. It does not remove the GST, it changes when you pay it.
What documents do I need to import commercially?
At minimum a commercial invoice, a packing list, the transport document (bill of lading for sea, air waybill for air) and a packing declaration for sea containers. Depending on the goods you may also need a certificate of origin for an FTA claim, a fumigation or treatment certificate, a dangerous goods declaration, an import permit, or a manufacturer’s declaration.
Who is legally responsible if the customs entry is wrong?
You are, as the owner of the goods. The Australian Border Force holds the importer responsible for the accuracy of declarations, including classification and valuation, regardless of who lodged them. That is why we ask detailed questions about material, function and price rather than accepting a supplier’s one-line description — an incorrect entry can result in underpaid duty being recovered, plus penalties, years later.
Should I buy FOB or CIF from my supplier?
For most Australian importers FOB is the better default. Under CIF your supplier controls the freight and nominates the forwarder, which usually means no visibility of the ocean rate and no control over the destination charges you are invoiced on arrival. Under FOB you control the freight leg and the Australian charges are ours to quote up front.
How do I import from multiple suppliers in the same shipment?
This is a consolidation, and done properly it is one of the cheapest wins in importing. We give each supplier a booking reference and delivery instruction for our origin warehouse, receive and check their cartons, load them into one container, and lodge a single customs entry covering all of them. You get one landed cost instead of three sets of freight and clearance charges.
Related pages
- Customs clearance — declarations, classification, valuation, duty, GST and biosecurity
- Commercial exports — the same discipline applied to Australian goods going out
- Container shipping — FCL and LCL compared, container types and payloads
- Door-to-door freight — one price and one contact covering every leg
- Warehousing and devanning — bonded and general storage, pick and pack, container unpacking
- Supply chain management — purchase-order management and freight spend reporting
- Importing to Australia guide — the full step-by-step for first-time importers
- Shipping documentation guide — what every document must show, and why entries get held
Get a landed-cost import quote
Send us your supplier details, cargo dimensions, commodity and Incoterm. We will come back within one business day with freight, duty, GST and delivery itemised — and we will tell you before you order if there is a compliance issue waiting.