The Beginner’s Guide To Shipping In Australia

By Clinton Courier | May 10, 2022 |

Shipping to Australia is not exactly an easy task and is much more difficult without the correct information. It’s easy to lose money by doing the wrong thing and not following Australia’s strict rules. Customs and quarantine in Australia make shipping fairly dangerous. One mistake can end with delayed, denied, and sometimes even destroyed shipments. They do have a very good reason for this. Australia wants to keep its land, people, animals, and even plants safe from any possible threat which is understandable when one has seen the destruction that just one species of toad has caused there. To ship to Australia without the fear of something bad happening to your shipment, you must first consider several factors. Consider the shipping period since it can take longer to reach compared to other countries. Consider the rules and regulations since not adhering to these can result in delays and worse. Consider the tax and tax policies that Australia has in place. Consider which items are prohibited since shipping prohibited items may result in their destruction.

The Shipping Period

Shipping to and from Australia usually takes quite a long time. Australia is in the Southern hemisphere and on the eastern side of the world which means that it’s further away from the main western countries that ship to Australia. Australia is generally out of the way of other countries which makes it inconvenient for freight ships to travel to Australia. Other factors may affect the length of time it takes for your goods to arrive: The country you’re shipping from or to, the final destination of the goods, how prepared you are for customs, the type of goods and container you’re shipping them in and the method of shipment. Sea freights will take longer. However, there are shipping services that offer fast shipping to Australia at a low cost, one of them being MyUS. It is an established and reliable shipping company that ships to more than 220 countries and territories around the world, and you can check it out if you need to ship anything to Australia.

Rules And Regulations

Understanding the rules and regulations that Australia has in place for shipping is important. Customs in Australia are fairly strict and even the smallest mistake can be costly. Remember that you must send along a customs invoice with your shipment so that the authorities can inspect the imported goods and levy any taxes that apply to the shipment being imported. The Invoice should include the collection address, the delivery address, the description of each item in the shipment, the value of each item, and the reason for export.

If a package you’re shipping to Australia has a total declared value of less than 1000 AUD, then duties and taxes will not apply. Australia calculates duties and taxes using the FOB method, which means the import duty and taxes are calculated only on the customs values of the imported goods. Most luggage shipments that are imported into Australia are considered UPEs (unaccompanied personal effects) and may be subject to duty and Goods and Services Tax. You should not have to pay anything at all if you meet the following criteria. Goods that are usually declared as personal effects may include: clothing and footwear (nothing containing fur), toiletries (but not perfumes), non-wooden furniture, rugs, curtains, books, and even bicycles.

Prohibited Items

It is important to know what materials to avoid packaging in. Anything that can house diseases, pests, and parasites is prohibited. This includes materials such as wood, egg cartons, straw, dried plant matter, and even cardboard that has come in contact with food products. Furthermore, there is a long list of prohibited and restricted goods in Australia. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to avoid shipping anything organic to Australia. This includes but is not limited to: medicines/drugs, cosmetics, perfumes, perishable foods, live animals, animal products, wooden objects, plants, and remains of humans and animals. Australia takes a firm stance against weapons as well. All weapons and anything that resembles weapons, including water pistols, are prohibited. Even firearm accessories such as scopes, bipods, and flashlights. Bullion of any precious metal and negotiable instruments are also prohibited. While it is possible to ship prohibited items, one will need the receiver to gain a permit and/or an import license beforehand.