Freight Forwarding Services From China to Australia

A ‘Direct Service’ means direct to Australia, not direct to the port you booked to.

Vessels from China typically call the ports of Sydney and Melbourne first and then make their way back up to Brisbane, depending on the port rotation established by the shipping line. So please note that the term direct service is used generically for direct shipping into Australia, only.

ICE can advise what port rotations are scheduled on your direct service and provide an ETA for when your cargo will be available at the port of arrival.

Shipping costs vary highly depending on your cargo type, the carrier, the weight and size of your cargo, if it is a door to door or port to port service and any other specifics (such as dangerous goods or sensitive cargo).

Freight rates of a standard 20’ container can start as low as $3,000. But the true cost will be calculated after adding import duty, fee-based on the value of the goods, transportation fees, insurance, surcharges, GST, and any other applicable charges. This is without accounting for any external events that affect costs, such as port congestion, labour strikes or capacity crunches, which are not uncommon in the industry.

Some online services offer instant freight rates, but only a freight forwarder will be able to provide an accurate quote considering all your specific requirements (time, budget, cargo type, insurance), instead of automatically charging a higher markup to cover any potential costs.

Airfreight is priced based on chargeable weight (or volumetric ratios), which are used to ensure the weight or size of your cargo are considered in equal measure when shipping.

For example, you are shipping something light like toilet rolls. The toilet rolls only weigh 100kgs, however, they take up a lot of space: over 5 cubic meters. The airline will now charge you a volumetric weight to cover the space taken up on the aircraft.

We have a volumetric rate calculator to help you. Once you’ve got the chargeable weight, you’ll forwarder will be able to provide you with a quote.

As a rule of thumb, standard air freight is the cheapest option for shipments between 150 kilos and 500 kg.  Once a shipment weighs more than 500 kg, ocean freight should be considered if your cargo is not urgent.

Sea freight from China to Australia takes approximately 23-45 days, door to door. Typically, Full Container Load (FCL) offers quicker transit times than Less Container Load (LCL), as the container isn’t shared with other shipments.

Air freight from China to Australia takes about 7-10 days, door to door.

China-Australia Freight Transit Times
	Port to Port	Door to Door
Sea Freight (FCL)	18-36 days	23-41 days
Sea Freight (LCL)*	18-36 days	22-50 days
Air Freight	1-5 days	4-11 days
Express Courier		2-5 days

Unfortunately, we don’t have control on vessel unloading and accessing containers in a specified order. When your container will be uplifted depends on the cargo stack. Heavy cargo will automatically sit on the bottom of the vessel, for safety and weight distribution purposes.

It can take up to 5 days (typically 2 days) for a container to be offloaded from a vessel, depending on how far back and accessible the container is.

Once available at the wharf, we usually have three days to collect before demurrage charges apply.

China and Australia have an FTA in place (ChAFTA) that eliminates import duty tax from most goods manufactured and imported from China.

For goods valued under AUD1,000 there are no customs and duty fees, allowing direct receipt of your items from China to Australia. However, it’s important not to intentionally underdeclare the value to avoid potential fines.

For goods valued above AUD1,000, you will typically have to pay:

Import Duty: 5% value of the goods— or NO tax if you present a Certificate of Origin.

GST: 10% goods and services tax (Value of goods + freight + insurance + duty * 10%)

Custom Clearance fee: this is charged by the broker to provide their services.

• Ensure your imported goods are not prohibited by checking the ABF’s full list of prohibited goods
• Have the following essential documents on hand: commercial Invoice, Packing List, Packing Declaration
• Request a Certificate of Origin from your Supplier or a ChAFTA certificate (this will be required for tax free import duty)
• Ask your supplier to provide the HS code for each item on your commercial invoice and your broker to revise
• Ask your broker to check if an anti-dumping duty applies to your import

To ship from China to Australia, you will need the following documents, at minimum:

• A commercial Invoice – a document that states who is buying the goods from whom, including the agreed shipping terms;
• Packing List – this document outlines all the details of your freight such as how your goods have been packed. This allows for reduced inspection times in the event some cargo needs to be looked at as it can be easily located within your consignment
• Packing Declaration (for sea freight only) – These are mandatory for shipping into Australia, and declare what kind of material has been used to pack goods. If the material contains wood, straw or bark, the goods will require a fumigation/treatment certificate;
• Certificate of Origin, which declares details of the country in which your goods are manufactured. You will need this declaration to benefit from the Australia-China Free Trade Agreement, allowing you to pay zero or lower import duty on goods imported from China.
• Letter of Credit (optional). A letter of credit is a formal agreement that legally binds both parties in an international trade transaction.  It spells out the financial and other responsibilities between both parties.

Depending on the type of goods, you may also be required permits, certificates, or licenses. Whenever this applies, our team will notify you ahead of time so you’re better prepared to make the necessary arrangements.

Incoterms are the terms of trade that buyer and supplier agree on before shipping so each party knows who is responsible for what in the shipping process (like who should arrange insurance, who should arrange transport and customs clearance).

The best incoterms for importing from China are EXW and FOB, as they give the importer the most control over each aspect of the shipment and full visibility of what’s being charged.

EXW indicates that you have full responsibility (and control) for bringing the goods from origin to destination. You must find someone to pick up cargo at the supplier’s warehouses and deliver to the port of export. The product price stated in EXW terms is only the product cost, and the supplier does not provide any shipping or exporting services. Under EX Works incoterms, you are responsible for everything in the shipping process.

FOB stands for Free On Board. The supplier bears the entire expense of delivering products to a Chinese port or airport, as well as the cost of exporting. You only need to arrange an Australian freight forwarder to book the freight, customs clear the goods, handle cargo pick up at the port in Australia and transport to its final destination.

Often suppliers push for CIF or CFR terms where they book and control the freight. However, if the freight is booked overseas it is often at a discounted rate and results in really high port charges on arrival in Australia for the importer (as shipping lines essentially then charge the importer the full freight rate to make up for the supplier ‘discount’).

Here are some of the prohibited import goods that require an import permit in Australia:

• • Biosecurity risk items: plants, seeds, animal products, soil, woolpacks, certain breeds of pets, fresh foodstuffs like un-canned meat, eggs, fish, fruits and dairy, and any products that could pose a threat to Australia’s environment or agriculture. Some products such as straw objects, potpourri, and pine cones, used agricultural machinery and anything with soil or biological residue need to be treated for hygiene before entry, presenting a cleanliness certificate.

• • Medicines and pharmaceuticals: steroids, animal growth hormones, medicines and drugs require permits to ensure they meet safety standards.

• • Hazardous goods: pesticides, explosives, mercury, radioactive substances.

• • Firearms: including accessories, firearm parts, firearm magazines, ammunition, imitation firearms, paintball markers and airsoft firearms.

• • Weapons: daggers, blades, spikes, karambits, throwing knives/blades/axes, push knives, non-metallic, ceramic knives, pepper sprays, extendable or telescopic batons.

• • Other items: tobacco, lighters, vaping goods, glazed ceramic ware, certain incandescent lamps, body armour, laser pointers, pornography and objectionable materials, tablet presses and encapsulator machines.

Air cargo is even more restrictive than sea cargo, including gases (e.g. lamp bulbs), all things flammable (e.g. perfume, some mobile phones), toxic or corrosive items (e.g. batteries), magnetic substances (e.g. speakers), oxidizers and biochemical products (e.g. chemical medicines), and public health risks (e.g. untanned hides).

Find the complete list of prohibited imported goods in Australia here.

During the holiday season, most businesses in China close or operate with skeleton staff, reducing the supply of goods and services and consequently increasing delays. Vessel capacity is significantly tighter pre-holidays, as most shippers place their bookings early to secure their goods ahead of the holidays. Plan your supply chain around the Chinese calendar to avoid unnecessary delays or extra freight costs.

• The Chinese New Year is the main holiday in China, taking place from late January to early February (exact dates change annually based on the lunar calendar), and lasting about 16 days. During this time, business shut down for 3-5 weeks for celebrations. Many factories pause production, so shippers should place their orders in advance to avoid price hikes and delays. Note: It takes 4-6 weeks for factories and port operations to return to normal levels after the CNY holidays.

• The Golden Week celebration lasts for a whole week from 1st October. This week-long festival exacerbates holiday season price spikes and delays.
• The Dragon Boat Festival follows the lunar calendar in June. Factories and other units may not operate for three days, causing potential delays.
• From July to October, the Christmas shopping season begins. During this peak time, freight costs rise steadily as all businesses place their orders at the same time.

The international maritime convention, SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea), has issued a set of strict regulations that must be followed by shippers. Failure to comply can result in fines.

• 20’ containers can have a maximum load of 24,947Kg to 28,122Kg.
• 40’ containers can have a maximum load of 26,852Kg to 27,669Kg.
• 40’ HC (High Cube) containers can have a maximum load of 28,122Kg.
• 45’ HC container have a limit of 27,864Kg.

• Ship off-peak. During shipping peak season (such as on the lead of Christmas and Chinese New Year), there is more shipping demand than vessel capacity available, and both shipping prices and transit times go up. Ship during off-peak seasons whenever you can.
• Get your documentation in order. Ensure you have all documentation in place ahead of time for a smooth customs clearance. Missing information, incorrect documentation, and even a typo can result in costly delays.
• Know your HS Codes. A lot of shippers are surprised by how much customs fees can affect business costs. Arrange a customs broker to find the right HS Code for each one of your products, or ask for a customs audit if you are unsure your goods have been classified correctly. You may even be eligible for a tariff concession or a customs refund if not.
• Lean on your forwarder. Give as much detail about your requirements as possible and let us demonstrate our expertise by finding the best shipping solution available for your cargo.