Shipping Restrictions
Import Restrictions
animals / animal products bees, leeches and silkworms body armor brushes made of animal hair children's wear made from flammable materials coffee cosmetic products fertilisers firearms and weapons food or drink for human consumption genetic material glue – animal derived heat bag/pillow honey laboratory materials leather goods meat and meat products (including fish) medical Therapy Apparatus money boxes pet food and treats pharmaceuticals or vaccines products containing micro-organisms queen bees and their escorts seeds, plants and plant materials soil or sand used clothing, footwear and headwear veterinary therapeutics and vaccines weapons wooden shoes wood items. Goods that are subject to import controls include but are not limited to the following: Goods subject to censorship controls; goods, as identified by the United Nations, which are subject to trade restrictions; goods that are regulated by the Consumer Affairs Division of the Department of Treasury Please note, this is not a complete list of goods subject to import prohibitions and restrictions. For a more complete list, please refer to the Customs (Prohibitions and Restrictions) Regulations 1956. The regulations can be found on the SCALEPlus site at (www.scaleplus.law.gov.au)Opens in new tab select "browse", then "Commonwealth Regulations", then "Cu", scroll down to the Customs (Prohibited Import) Regulations 1956. In cases relating to intellectual property rights infringements, civil action might be taken against the importer by the owner or licensed user of a trademark or copyright. Import restrictions might be in place to support local industry and implement international agreements. Importers who fail to comply with import prohibitions and restrictions are subject to severe penalties.
Prohibited Items
In addition to items considered non-mailable matter, the following are prohibited: animals / animal products, all Anzac and goods bearing the description Anzac army ordnances (live, inert or replica) or parts thereof, ammunition (live, inert or replica), military style vests with accommodation for explosives or any articles resembling the previously mentioned items biological products eggs in any form and containers used for eggs electric dog collars fruit and vegetables fruit cartons of any type handicrafts containing dried plant material or unprocessed animal products high value goods (including bullion and bank notes) kava ice pipes lithium batteries meat and dairy products mineral fuels packaging and equipment used for the care of animals pepper spray plant material / seeds / soil signal jamming devices tablet pressers tobacco products printed matter advertising illicit goods straw and plant material used as packing thermometers containing mercury used bedding valuables The seizure of prohibited goods on entry into Australia is often carried out by Customs on behalf of other government agencies. Importers are advised to pre-check what goods are covered by prohibits as they are subject to change. The following is a non-comprehensive list of items that are prohibited entry into Australia: goods bearing certain official emblems or designs (i.e. ANZAC); goods bearing incorrect or misleading labels or markings; goods which infringe on trade marks, copyrights or Olympic insignia; certain goods related to cultural heritage (i.e. goods from Papua New Guinea); milk (except from New Zealand) Importers who fail to comply with import prohibitions and restrictions are subject to severe penalties.
Document Restrictions
The destination country or territory considers the following items as document shipments. If criteria are listed, the shipment must meet the criteria to be considered a document shipment. Advertising Literature Must be business related. Airline Tickets Annual Reports Bids Blueprints Brochures Business Cards Cash Letters Catalogs Charts Checks Computer Print-Outs Credit Cards Discs Must contain data Diskettes Must contain data Drawings Gift Cards Graphs Greeting Cards, Invitations Intercompany Data on CD-Rom/Disk In order to ship Intercompany Data on Diskette/CD ROM as a document shipment, the following guidelines must be met: The content must not be sold commercially or have commercial value. The data can not be software. Specifically write "Intercompany Data on Diskette/CD ROM" in the description of the goods field of the waybill. Mark an "x" in the documents only box on the waybill. Intercompany Mail Magazines Manuals (Technical) Manuscripts Maps Microfilm, Microfiche Negotiable Bonds, Drafts Newsletters (Company) Newspapers Pamphlets Passports Periodicals Photographs Price Lists Proposals Publications Specifications Sheets Tapes (Audio, Video, Magnetic) Transparencies Visa Applications
Declaration
Non-document shipments to Australia must include 1 original and 2 copies of an invoice. The invoice should include: A clear and accurate description of the goods (new or used) needs to be described for clearance purposes (for example: New Machine parts or New Golf Clubs or Used Golf Clubs.) Material composition of the item Currency (for example, USD) Currency amount Itemized value for each item, including a unit value and a total value for each item Incoterms (for example, FOB, CIF, or DDP) Country or Territory of origin For items of no commercial value, a value must be stated on all non-document shipments. The consignee's telephone number must appear on the invoice.
Duties & Taxes
For goods with a value of AUD1000 or less, there are generally no duties, taxes or charges to pay at the border. However, From 1 July 2018, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) may be collected by overseas vendors of such low value goods when imported from overseas by consumers in Australia. GST will be charged at the point of sale and not at the border. For goods with a value over AUD1000, you will need to fill out an Import Declaration, and pay duties, taxes and charges at the border. All imports are subject to 10% Goods and Services Tax. Fuel, tobacco and alcohol are subject to excise equivalent duty. This is equivalent to the excise tax rates applied by the Australian Taxation Office You will need to pay duties and taxes on some goods (like tobacco or alcohol) regardless of their value.
To view more information, please click here: Costs of importing goods