With $71.82 billion worth of goods imported from China, Australia relies heavily on products like electronics, machinery, and clothing from this major trade partner.
Whether you’re starting a business or replenishing stock, this guide covers all the essential steps, required documentation, and import requirements for smooth shipping from China to Australia.
How To Do Cargo Shipping From China To Australia?
You have to follow the given steps to simplify your shipping process.
1. Find A Wholesaler or Supplier
Initially, you have to determine what type of product you want to import to Australia. After that, you need to find a reliable manufacturer or wholesaler from China. You can find one from Alibaba, Made in China, China Sources, or other online platforms where they are listed.
At those vendors’ network mediums, you can check their years of experience or find out whether they are trusted or not. In this way, you will be protected from scams or loss.
2. Prepare Your Shipment
Once your products are manufactured, you need to package them in standard-sized cartons. Additionally, you are required to label the packages with all the product details and their handling instructions. The sender’s and receiver’s information must be mentioned on packages.
Now you have to transport your prepared cargo from the supplier to the seaport or airport of China. But before that, decide the method of shipping from China to Australia. Your decision must be based on your budget, urgency, shipment type, and weight.
3. Find Your Chinese Freight Forwarder
In this step, you have to find a reliable freight agent or company. You can search for them on Google and contact them to get your quote. Bansar is one of them, we will handle everything for you in the shipping process.
It includes local transport from the supplier to the Chinese port and from the Australian port to your door. However, prior to shipping, we will handle customs in both countries for your ease.
4. Clear Chinese & Australian Customs
When your shipment reaches the exporting and importing port, it will pass through the customs department. They will thoroughly inspect it to ensure quality. Moreover, for restricted items, you have to provide an import license to them.
Once your cargo is cleared from the port of China, your forwarder will start shipping it to Australia. When it reaches the arrival port, the customs there also inspect it and want some documents. These are also required by Chinese customs.
- Bill of Lading-Contract between the carrier and shipper.
- Letter of Credit-Financial statement between buyer and seller.
- Commercial Invoice-Proof of sales and purchase.
- Import License-Required for restricted items like alcohol, tobacco, beer, etc.
- Packing List- Includes all the details of the cargo like the number of items and their nature.
- Test Report-Proof of confirmation of cargo compliance with government regulations for clearance.
- Certificate of Origin-Shows in which country the product is manufactured.
- Freight Insurance-Certificate of your cargo insurance.
Additionally, there are some other documents only needed by Australian customs for clearance. These include:
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Import Declarations (N10)
This document is needed if your cargo value is over AUD 1,000. Moreover, it is required if your imported goods are intended for sale in the domestic market of the country. You can submit it via the Integrated Cargo System (ICS) or at the ABF counter.
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Self-Assessed Clearance (SAC) Declaration
If the value of your goods does not exceed AUD 1,000 and they are shipped via air or sea, you are required to submit this form to customs. However, you can not use this document for international mail service.
You must submit this form if you plan to store imported goods in a customs-licensed warehouse before they go through customs clearance. This declaration form is required only if the goods are valued above AUD 1,000.
5. Receive Your Cargo
You can receive your shipment from the port of Australia. It may be a seaport or an airport. After that, you have to transport it from there to your store.
In case you are working on the Amazon FBA model, your cargo will be shipped directly to their warehouse. Because all the inventory management and order fulfillment will be done by them. You have to keep track of your orders and sales.
Import Taxes & Duties In Australia
For importing goods to Australia, you need to pay the applied taxes and duties to the customs department. These taxes are only applied when your goods are worth more than AUD 1000. If their value is less than or equal to this amount, you are free from paying any type of tax.
China and Australia have a free trade agreement known as ChAFTA, which results in relatively lower tariff rates on goods traded between the two countries.
Firstly, the applied customs duty is from 0 to 10% of the value of your cargo. In addition, the Goods and Service tax (GST) is 10% of all the costs involved in shipping from China to Australia.
This cost consists of a combined value of customs duty, shipping, and insurance price. In order to pay for GST, you must have an Australian Business Number (ABN).
Shipping Incoterms From China To Australia
These are trade terms that define the obligations of the seller and buyer. These are used in international business and the most famous commercial terms are:
- Delivered at Place Unloaded (DPU): Under DPU, your seller will bear all the costs until your shipment is unloaded at the Australian port or other agreed location.
- Cost, Insurance, & Freight (CIF): In CIF, the seller will have to cover the shipping cost and insurance of products while they are in transit. After that, all the cost and responsibility is shifted towards the buyer.
- Ex Works (EXW): All the costs and responsibilities are upon you as a buyer. The seller will only provide the products at their place.
- Delivered Duty Paid (DDP): Your seller will do everything including shipping, export clearance, import declaration, and deliver it to you in Australia.
4 Methods To Ship From China To Australia
You can ship your consignment to Australia through the following ways:
Standard Air Freight
Importing your goods from China to Australia by air is the most expensive shipping method. You can transport food products, refrigerated items, jewelry, laptops, pharmaceuticals, and luxury goods through air freight. In contrast, heavy-weight items greater than 500 kg are not accepted to ship by air.
Major Airlines For China-Australia Shipping
- China Southern Airline
- Sichuan Airline
- Capital Airlines
- Air China
- Cathay Airline
- Garuda Airline
- Xiamen Airline
- Hong Kong Airline
- AirAsia X
- China Eastern Airline
Express Air Freight
The fastest yet most expensive method to import goods from China to Australia is express freight. For emergencies like you want your items in 1 to 3 business days, the express is the best option. The same restrictions applied to standard air freight also apply to express shipping.
Major Express Shipping Companies
- Bansarship China
- Thomas Nationwide Transport (TNT) Express
- FedEx
- Express Mail Service
- Dalsey, Hillblom and Lynn (DHL) Express
Sea Freight
When you transport your cargo through ships and ocean routes, it is called sea freight. This method is relatively cheaper than air, in fact, it is the most affordable option for shipping to Australia.
On top of that, there is no restriction on weight range and type of product. You can ship oil tankers, PVC pipes, vehicles, furniture, and anything you want unless it’s not included in the list of prohibited items.
Major Ocean Shipping Companies
- Bansar China
- Australian National Line (ANL)
- Hapag Lloyd
- Mitsui O.S.K. Lines
- Ocean World Lines (OWL)
- Hamburg Sud
- Contship
- Marfret
- Ecru-Line MSC
- Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL)
- WalleniusWilhelmsen
Door to Door Shipping
As the name shows, this service does not let you step out of your home. You only need to place your shipping order through your laptop or mobile. Your shipment will be picked up from a Chinese supplier and delivered to your home with handling customs on both ends. However, you need to pay a greater shipping cost and wait a little longer than usual.
Cost of Shipping From China To Australia
The rates for importing goods to Australia are different for different shipping methods. These prices also vary from company to company and the shipment load. Your origin and destination points also play an important role in deciding how much you have to pay for shipping to Australia from China.
Below is the estimated price range for your shipment. You can contact us for more accurate rates based on the category of your cargo.
Air Freight Cost
| Weight Range (kg) | Shipping Rates (per kg) |
| 5 to 20 | $6 to $8 |
| 21 to 100 | $5.5 to $7.5 |
| 101 to 300 | $3 to $6 |
Express Freight Cost
| Shipping Weight | Price |
| 5 to 20 kg | $10 to $15 per kg |
| 21 to 100 kg | $7 to $13 per kg |
| 101 to 300 kg | $6.5 to $10 per kg |
Ocean Shipping Cost
| Shipping Mode | Price Range |
| LCL | $50 to $200 |
| 20-foot container (FCL) | $1000 to $2500 |
| 40-foot container (FCL) | $3000 to $4500 |
Key Trade Ports For Shipping From China To Australia
The following are the main airports and seaports of both countries. These are primarily used for importing products to Australia.
Major International Airports of China
- Kunming Changshui Airport
- Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport
- Haikou Meilan Airport
- Harbin Taiping Airport
- Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport
- Wuhan Tianhe Airport
- Chengdu Shuangliu Airport
- Xiamen Gaoqi Airport
- ÜrümqiDiwopu Airport
- Guiyang Longdongbao Airport
Major International Airports of Australia
- Gold Coast Airport (Queensland)
- Moorabbin Airport (Victoria)
- Sydney Airport (South Wales)
- Brisbane Airport (Queensland)
- Canberra Airport (Australian Capital Territory)
- Parafield Airport (South Australia)
- Darwin Airport (Northern Territory)
- Jandakot Airport (Western Australia)
- Melbourne Airport (Victoria)
- Adelaide Airport (South Australia)
Major Chinese Seaports
- Tianjin Port has the capacity to accommodate more than 500 million tonnes of cargo every year. This seaport has great storage space consisting of 1,800,000 m2 of area.
- The Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan can handle more than 800 million metric tons of goods annually. Beilun, old Ningbo harbor, and Zhenhai are parts of this seaport.
- The Port of Yingkou is placed among the top ten seaports in the country. It consists of 27 berths with an annual container traffic of 250,000 TEUs.
Furthermore, some other seaports of China for cargo shipping to Australia include:
- Lanshan port
- Lianyungang Port
- Port of Shanghai
- Guangzhou Port
- Port of Shenzhen
- Port of Xiamen
- Qingdao Port
Major Australian Seaports
- The Port of Brisbane occupies 2460 hectares on the eastern coastline of Queensland. It deals with over 28 million tonnes of goods every year.
- Port of Melbourne is an Australian major container port covering 143,000 m2 of area. It has 31 berths, mostly at the estuary of the Yarra River.
- The Port of Abbot Point is majorly used as an export terminal in the northern region of the country. It is a deep-water port with 2 berths, mainly used for the export of coal.
There are also other ports of Australia that can receive cargo from China.
- Fremantle Harbour
- Port Hedland
- Port Darwin
- Port of Newcastle
- Port Adelaide
- Dampier Port
- Seaport of Sydney
How Long Does Shipping Take From China To Australia?
The duration of shipping from China to Australia depends on the shipping mode as well. In addition, it will increase or decrease with the departure and arrival port. Here is the average range for transit time between Australia and China.
| Shipping Method | Transit Time (days) |
| Standard Air Freight | 4 to 5 |
| Express Air Freight | 1 to 3 |
| Sea Freight | 12 to 30 |
| Door to Door | 28 to 50 |
The following is the estimated shipping duration from famous Chinese ports to major Australian places.
| Loading Port | Unloading Port | Shipping Duration (days) |
| Xiamen | Sydney | 18 to 20 |
| Adelaide | 25 to 28 | |
| Melbourne | 17 to 21 | |
| Perth | 20 to 24 | |
| Brisbane | 14 to 18 | |
| Shenzhen | Sydney | 12 to 18 |
| Adelaide | 25 to 28 | |
| Melbourne | 15 to 20 | |
| Perth | 26 to 28 | |
| Brisbane | 11 to 16 | |
| Qingdao | Sydney | 20 to 23 |
| Adelaide | 20 to 25 | |
| Melbourne | 21 to 24 | |
| Perth | 19 to 21 | |
| Brisbane | 19 to 22 | |
| Shanghai | Sydney | 16 to 19 |
| Adelaide | 26 to 28 | |
| Melbourne | 17 to 20 | |
| Perth | 18 to 23 | |
| Brisbane | 13 to 16 | |
| Tianjin | Sydney | 24 to 26 |
| Adelaide | 26 to 30 | |
| Melbourne | 22 to 25 | |
| Perth | 26 to 28 | |
| Brisbane | 23 to 27 | |
| Ningbo | Sydney | 15 to 22 |
| Adelaide | 27 to 30 | |
| Melbourne | 16 to 23 | |
| Perth | 25 to 30 | |
| Brisbane | 17 to 21 | |
| Hong Kong | Sydney | 12 to 15 |
| Adelaide | 27 to 30 | |
| Melbourne | 21 to 23 | |
| Brisbane | 25 to 28 |
Prohibited Australian Imports
According to the Australian Border Force, you are not allowed to ship the following items to this country.
1. Animals & Plants
Australian native species are strictly prohibited from being imported and exported between both countries. Moreover, dangerous breeds of dogs like Fila Brasileiro, Perro de Presa Canario, Dogo Argentino, and pit bull terriers are also not allowed.
In the fish category, toothfish imports are banned. Furthermore, products made from the fur of dogs and cats are illegal to enter Australia.
2. Weapons & Firearms
Weapons like machetes, blowguns, swords, warfare items, body armor, and some other armed materials are not allowed to ship to Australia. However, for some items, you need to take a weapon import test to apply for import permission. These include slingshots, throwing blades, laser pointers, nunchakus, blowpipes, and crossbows.
On the other hand, paintball makers and ammunition items are forbidden. Firearms, especially machine pistols, assault rifles, lever action shotguns, and machine and submachine guns are included in the prohibited category.
3. Consumer Items
It includes lead-containing cosmetics, laser pointers, incandescent lamps, counterfeit credit cards, and glazed ceramic products. Moreover, toys and pencils having certain toxic substances are also included in this category.
4. Drugs & Medicines
Narcotic drugs, certain types of tobacco, and vaping goods are not permitted. However, some types and a limited quantity are allowed to import to Australia within a certain weight range. Moreover, therapeutic substances like aphrodisiacs, laetrile, and abortifacients are prohibited.
Psychoactive drugs, growth hormones (somatrem, erythropoietin, gonadotrophins, etc), and steroids are banned imports.
5. Intellectual Property
Goods with intellectual property rights are not permitted to enter Australia. Moreover, historical artifacts, philatelic materials, cultural items, archaeological items, and numismatics are not permitted by the Australian government.
6. Hazardous Items
It includes asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls, hazardous waste, certain pesticides, and ozone-depleting substances are not allowed to be imported into Australia.
7. Miscellaneous Things
These include pornographic materials, suicidal materials, ice pipes, human organs, and body fluids. Additionally, rough diamonds, kava root, jamming devices, wines (>100 liters), and encapsulators are illegal as Australian imports.
The Bottom Line
With Bansar’s shipping solutions, your goods will safely reach Australia, whether bound for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, or beyond. From customs clearance to door-to-door delivery, we handle every step of the process. Share your shipping needs with us, and let us ensure a smooth delivery from China to your doorstep.
