Import guide
Importing to Australia — A Complete Step-by-Step Guide
Everything a first-time or growing Australian importer needs to know, in the order you actually need to know it: legality and permits, classification and duty, Incoterms, freight, documents, clearance, delivery and cash flow.
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The short answer
Importing into Australia in nine steps
There is no import licence and no importer registration in Australia, which makes starting easier than most people expect. What makes importing go wrong is not the paperwork at the border — it is decisions made before the order was placed. This guide follows the correct order.
- 1. Confirm the goods can be imported, and whether a permit or condition applies
- 2. Get an ABN and register for GST if you have not already
- 3. Establish the tariff classification, the duty rate and any FTA concession
- 4. Agree the Incoterm with your supplier — usually FOB
- 5. Get a landed-cost freight quote before you commit
- 6. Place the order with correct packing, marking and document instructions
- 7. Have the documents checked before the goods sail
- 8. Clear customs and biosecurity, pay duty and GST
- 9. Take delivery, reconcile, and improve the next one
Step by step
The nine steps in detail
1. Confirm the goods can be imported
Australia regulates goods rather than importers. Some things are prohibited outright, some need a permit, and some carry conditions — chemicals, therapeutic goods, foods, weapons parts, certain timbers, asbestos-containing products, and goods with refrigerant gases among them. Establish this first, because it is the only step where the answer can be “you cannot”.
2. Get an ABN and register for GST
You do not need either to import, but you need an ABN and GST registration to claim back the GST you pay at the border, and to be eligible for the ATO Deferred GST scheme. For anyone importing commercially and regularly, both are effectively essential.
3. Establish classification, duty and concessions
The tariff classification determines the duty rate, whether a concession applies, and whether anti-dumping measures are in play. Get this before you order so your landed cost model is real. Check whether an FTA applies to your origin and what evidence it requires, and for machinery check the Tariff Concession Order register.
4. Agree the Incoterm
FOB is the sensible default for most Australian importers, because it gives you control of the main carriage and means the Australian charges are quoted to you rather than presented to you. EXW gives you more control and more work; CIF gives you less of both and usually costs more once the arrival invoice lands.
5. Get a landed-cost quote
Not a freight rate. A landed cost includes origin charges, ocean or air freight, surcharges, terminal and port charges, customs entry, duty, GST and delivery to your door. Comparing freight rates between forwarders while ignoring destination charges is how importers pick the more expensive option.
6. Place the order properly
Specify carton dimensions and marking, pallet configuration, the documents you require and what each must show, the treatment certification you need for any timber, and the cargo-ready date. A good purchase order prevents most freight problems.
7. Check documents before the goods sail
Commercial invoice, packing list, transport document, packing declaration and any certificate of origin, all checked against each other. An error found at origin costs an email. The same error found at the wharf costs days of storage.
8. Clear customs and biosecurity
The import declaration is lodged with the Australian Border Force, duty and GST are assessed, any FTA concession is claimed, and biosecurity requirements are addressed. Have funds ready before the vessel berths — payment delay is the most common cause of demurrage.
9. Take delivery and reconcile
Unload within the carrier free time to avoid detention, then reconcile the invoice against the quote line by line. Then debrief: what would you change on the next one? The second shipment should always be cheaper and smoother than the first.
Costs
What a landed cost actually contains
Freight is often less than half of it. These are the line items, and the ones importers forget are usually in the bottom half of the table.
| Cost | Charged by | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Goods and any supplier charges | Supplier | The basis of the customs value |
| Origin pickup, handling and export clearance | Origin agent | Payable by you under FOB and EXW |
| Ocean or air freight | Carrier | Moves with capacity, fuel and season |
| Carrier surcharges | Carrier | Bunker, congestion, peak season and equipment surcharges |
| Marine cargo insurance | Insurer | Optional but strongly recommended |
| Terminal handling and port charges | Stevedore and terminal | Includes the terminal infrastructure or access surcharge |
| Customs entry and biosecurity lodgement | Us | Depends on the number of lines and tariff complexity |
| Import duty | Australian Border Force | Set by classification and origin; often nil under an FTA |
| GST | Australian Border Force | 10% of customs value plus freight, insurance and duty |
| Biosecurity inspection or treatment | Government and providers | Only if directed, but budget for the possibility |
| Road transport to your door | Us | Depends on postcode, truck type and unloading method |
| Demurrage and detention | Carrier and terminal | Entirely avoidable with planning |
Cash flow
Three things that free up working capital
Deferred GST
If you are GST registered, lodge activity statements monthly and lodge electronically, you can apply to the ATO for the Deferred GST scheme. Import GST moves from the border to your BAS. For a regular importer this is a permanent improvement in working capital, not a one-off saving.
Claiming every FTA concession
Australia has agreements covering most of its major trading partners, and a valid origin claim frequently takes a 5% duty line to nil. Claims fail on evidence, not eligibility — so ask your supplier for the right documentation before shipment.
Avoiding demurrage and detention
These charges are pure loss and almost entirely avoidable: have funds ready before arrival, book delivery before release, know your free time, and have labour ready on the day. They escalate quickly and they are not negotiable after the fact.
Mode
Sea or air, FCL or LCL — for a first shipment
| Your situation | Recommended | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First trial order, small volume, low value per kg | LCL sea freight | Cheapest way to test a product and a supplier |
| First trial order, high value per kg or urgent | Air freight | On a small consignment the air premium is often modest, and you learn faster |
| Above roughly 13–15 cbm | 20ft FCL | Better unit cost, and avoids the deconsolidation depot |
| Above roughly 28 cbm | 40ft or 40ft high cube FCL | The standard commercial shipment |
| Dense goods — tiles, stone, fixings | Two 20ft rather than one 40ft | Weight limits bind long before the cube fills |
| Several small suppliers in one country | Origin consolidation into one container | One freight charge and one customs entry instead of several |
More detail: sea freight, air freight, container shipping, LCL and FCL.
FAQ
First-time importer questions
How do I start importing into Australia?
In order: confirm the goods can legally be imported and whether a permit applies; get an ABN and register for GST if you have not; establish the tariff classification and duty rate so you know your landed cost before you commit; agree an Incoterm with your supplier, usually FOB; get a landed-cost freight quote; place the order; have the documents checked before the goods sail; then clear, pay and take delivery. The mistakes that hurt are almost always made in the first three steps and discovered in the last.
Do I need a licence or registration to import into Australia?
There is no general import licence and no importer registration in Australia. What you do need is an ABN if you want to claim GST credits or use deferred GST, and a permit for goods that are specifically controlled. Australia’s approach is to regulate particular goods rather than particular importers.
What is the AUD 1,000 import threshold?
Goods with a customs value above AUD 1,000 require a formal import declaration, and duty and GST are assessed at the border. At or below AUD 1,000 a full declaration is generally not required, though GST may still be collected by the supplier or platform on low-value imported goods. The threshold applies to the customs value of the consignment, not to what you paid including freight.
How much will it cost to import a container?
Any single figure would be misleading, because ocean rates move constantly and the statutory charges depend on your goods. What you can do is model the structure: ocean freight and surcharges, origin charges, terminal handling and port charges in Australia, customs entry, duty at your classification’s rate, GST at 10% of customs value plus freight, insurance and duty, and road transport. Send us your cargo details and we will itemise all of it at current rates.
Should I buy FOB or CIF?
FOB for most Australian importers. Under CIF your supplier controls the freight, nominates the forwarder and you have no visibility of the ocean rate — and the nominated agent then invoices you destination charges you never agreed. Under FOB you control the main carriage and the Australian charges are quoted to you up front. CIF is occasionally sensible for very small shipments or where a supplier genuinely has better rates, but it should be a decision rather than a default.
How long does importing take?
Allow production lead time, plus ocean transit of roughly 14–25 days from Asia, 18–28 days from India, 20–30 days from the US West Coast, or 30–45 days from Europe and the US East Coast, plus about a week each end for collection and for clearance and delivery. Add genuine contingency for a rolled sailing or an inspection. For a first shipment, plan on the longer end of every range.
What is the most common first-time importer mistake?
Committing to an order before establishing the tariff classification, the duty rate and any permit requirement. Everything about freight can be adjusted after the fact; a compliance problem or an unbudgeted duty rate cannot. The second most common is agreeing CIF terms and then being surprised by the destination charges invoice.
Do I need cargo insurance?
It is not compulsory, and we strongly recommend it. A carrier’s liability under a bill of lading is limited by weight, not by the value of your goods, so a total loss would recover a small fraction of what you paid. Marine cargo insurance is inexpensive relative to the value at risk. Note also that under FOB terms, risk passes to you at the origin port, so your cover needs to start there.
Related pages
- Commercial imports — our full import management service
- Shipping documents explained — what each document must show
- Incoterms explained — FOB, CIF, EXW, DDP and where risk transfers
- Import duty and GST — how the tax on your import is calculated
- Freight costs explained — every charge, and what moves it
- Freight planning guide — building lead times and buffers that survive a bad month
- Customs clearance — classification, declarations, duty and biosecurity
- Trade routes — lane guides for every major origin
Talk to us before you place the order
The cheapest advice we give is always before the purchase order. Send us the product, the supplier country and the volumes, and we will confirm the classification, the duty rate, any permit requirement and a realistic landed cost — before you commit money.