Shipping From China to Australia

01Freight to Australia

Mid-band, with strong capacity to Sydney and Melbourne.

Western Australia and the Northern Territory cost more and take longer; quote those separately rather than assuming a Sydney rate.

02Duty and GST

The threshold is high, but GST is collected at the point of sale.

Consignments under AUD 1,000 clear without duty, and GST at 10% is collected by the seller on low-value imports rather than at the border. That is why a Chinese line quoting an Australian price usually has the tax already inside it.

Above AUD 1,000, duty applies at the rate for the goods and GST is charged on the landed value including freight. A single parcel above the threshold is where the paperwork actually starts.

03Biosecurity stops more parcels than customs

Wood, plant material, food and untreated items are inspected and destroyed.

The ABF and the agriculture department screen parcels for biosecurity risk. Items that regularly fail: wooden hangers and picture frames, bamboo and rattan, dried food, seeds, leather with visible soil, and packaging stuffed with straw. A hoodie in a poly bag is fine; a hoodie in a wooden gift box is a question.

04Lines and transit

Air is 8–14 days; express 4–7.

Australia Post handles most last-mile delivery; Aramex and Toll cover express. Parcels to regional postcodes add 2–5 days and often a surcharge that the initial quote does not show.

05What goes wrong

Biosecurity holds, and quarantine fees that dwarf the item.

A biosecurity inspection carries a fee regardless of outcome, and a destroyed item is not refunded by the agent or the line. The other common failure is the AUD 1,000 line: a consolidated haul just over the threshold triggers duty paperwork that a slightly smaller parcel avoids entirely.

Q&AQuestions people ask about this route