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Importing means bringing goods into Australia from overseas.

You can import most goods with a value of up to A$1,000 without a formal import declaration.

In general, pre-arrival reporting and importation requirements are more complex for goods if they are either:

  • over A$1,000 in value
  • a prohibited or restricted item
  • a bio-security risk
  • goods you need to pay duty or taxes on.

Goods must clear customs

The Australian Border Force (ABF) clears imported goods through customs when they first arrive. Unless you have an exception, you must declare all goods arriving in Australia to the ABF. You need a permit to import some types of goods into Australia.

Before you import goods for your business, check:

  • whether you need to apply for a permit
  • if your goods need to meet other requirements for clearance, such as biosecurity, food safety and drug control requirements
  • the potential cost of duties, taxes, and freight and handling charges
  • any duty or GST concessions that apply, such as a tariff concession order or preferential tariff treatment under a free trade agreement.

It’s a good idea to get a licensed customs broker to help you understand your requirements and import your goods.

What you can and can’t import

The Australian Government controls what you can import into Australia.

The government prohibits some goods from being imported into Australia. However, you can import most prohibited goods if you get permission from the Australian Government and meet certain conditions. The ABF website has a list of prohibited goods.

You should also check whether the goods you want to import are banned in Australia for product safety reasons.

Biosecurity risks

You can’t import some goods because they are a biosecurity risk for Australia. For example, some plant and animal products can introduce pests or diseases into Australia.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry explains how to meet biosecurity requirements when importing goods into Australia.

Importing chemicals

If you import industrial chemicals (or products containing industrial chemicals) for commercial purposes, you must register with the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS). Registration involves an annual fee.

Examples of products that may contain industrial chemicals:

  • soap
  • cosmetics
  • paint
  • glue
  • printing ink
  • cleaning products.

Costs to import items

Before you import goods, it's important to understand the costs you need to pay.

Most imports are subject to 10% goods and services tax (GST).

Depending on the type and value of the goods, you may also need to pay:

  • customs duties
  • import processing charges
  • transport costs, insurance, storage charges, and other handling charges from your logistics provider
  • customs brokerage fees
  • clearance and permit fees
  • biosecurity fees
  • dumping and countervailing duties. Dumping is when a business exports a product to Australia at a price below the price charged in the country of manufacture
  • other fees and taxes.

Labelling imported items

You need to follow labelling requirements for goods you import.

Trade descriptions

Some types of imported goods must be labelled with a trade description. This is a statement that includes:

  • an accurate description of the goods
  • the name of the country where they were made or produced.

See the ABF information on labelling to find out if the goods you're importing need a trade description and how they must be labelled.

Food labelling

You must make sure that the labelling on imported food products meets the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

Some food products sold in Australia must also show information about their country of origin. If you’re importing food products that don’t display the right origin information, you can edit the labels once the products are in Australia. 

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