IN THIS ARTICLE
China is where a large share of Australian importers source their stock, and the route is well served by sea and air. With good preparation, shipping from China to Australia runs efficiently. Problems tend to start when the documentation is incomplete or key steps are actioned late: cargo booked from the wrong port, landed costs that miss duty and GST, or a container that sails straight into a holiday shutdown.
This guide covers the main ports at both ends, how long each leg takes, what you pay at the border and which dates to plan around, so you can prepare well in advance.
TL;DR Quick Answers
Shipping from China to Australia takes 14-17 days and up to 5 weeks on a low-cost transhipment vessel by sea port to port, or 1-3 days by air. Most goods over AUD 1,000 need an import declaration, with 10% GST and up to 5% duty, often reduced to zero under ChAFTA. Plan around key Chinese holiday such as Chinese New Year and Golden Week.
Which Chinese ports should your cargo leave from?
Ship from the major port closest to your supplier’s factory. Trucking cargo across China to a distant port adds cost and days before the vessel even sails.
- Shanghai: China’s largest port, serving factories across the Yangtze River Delta. Frequent direct sailings to Australia’s east coast.
- Ningbo: Serves Zhejiang province, including the Yiwu wholesale markets. A common choice for homewares and general merchandise.
- Shenzhen: The main gateway for electronics and consumer goods made in the Pearl River Delta. Among the shortest sailings to Australia.
- Guangzhou and Foshan: The hub for furniture, tiles, lighting and building materials. Foshan cargo usually moves by barge or truck to a nearby deep-sea port.
- Xiamen: Serves Fujian province, known for stone, footwear and sporting goods.
- Qingdao: Serves Shandong province, with strong volumes of machinery, tyres and food products.
- Tianjin: The main port for Beijing and northern China. Longer sailings than southern ports.
- Dalian: Serves north-east China and its heavy industry. Usually the longest sailing to Australia.
How long does shipping from China to Australia take?
Sea freight takes roughly two to five weeks port to port, and air freight takes about five to eight days door to door. The exact China to Australia shipping time depends on the port pair, whether the vessel sails direct, and how full the schedule is.
Sea freight transit times by port
The ranges below are typical for port-to-port sailings. They do not include factory lead time, export clearance, customs clearance or delivery.
- South China (Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Xiamen) to Sydney: about 14 to 16 days port to port.
- East China (Shanghai, Ningbo) to Sydney: about 14 to 18 days port to port.
- North China (Qingdao, Tianjin, Dalian) to Sydney: about 17 to 25 days port to port.
- China to Brisbane: similar to Sydney, give or take a few days depending on the vessel’s port rotation.
- China to Melbourne: usually two to four days longer than Sydney, as Melbourne is often a later port of call.
- China to Fremantle: about 15 to 25 days port to port, often with a transhipment in South-East Asia.
- China to Adelaide: about 20 to 30 days port to port, commonly via transhipment or another Australian port.
Less than container load (LCL) cargo takes longer than a full container load (FCL). Allow about an extra week for the goods to be consolidated at origin and unpacked at destination. When comparing sea freight services, check whether the quoted transit time is direct or transhipped, as a transhipment can add a week or more.
Air freight transit times
The flight itself takes about a day, but door-to-door delivery usually takes five to eight days once export handling, customs clearance and delivery are included. Air freight suits urgent, small or high-value cargo.
- Speed: Days rather than weeks, which helps when stock runs out or a launch date is fixed.
- Cost: Charged on chargeable weight, which is the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight.
- Restrictions: Lithium batteries, aerosols and other dangerous goods face tighter rules by air than by sea.
Many importers use air freight for urgent top-ups and send their regular stock by sea.
What does shipping from China to Australia cost?
There is no single shipping from China to Australia price, because freight rates change with season, fuel costs and vessel space. A reliable quote breaks the cost into parts, so you can compare like for like.
- Origin charges: Factory pick-up, export clearance and port handling in China. Who pays depends on your Incoterm.
- International freight: The ocean or air freight rate, plus fuel and seasonal surcharges.
- Destination port charges: Terminal handling and port fees at the Australian port.
- Customs clearance: The customs broker’s fee for lodging your import declaration.
- Government charges: Customs duty, GST, the import processing charge and any biosecurity inspection or treatment fees.
- Local delivery: Wharf cartage, container unpacking and delivery to your door.
- Insurance: Marine cargo insurance, which is optional but covers loss or damage in transit.
- Delay costs: Storage and container detention if cargo is not cleared and collected on time.
Your Incoterm decides how the bill is split. Under FOB, the supplier pays to get the goods on board in China and you pay from there. Under EXW, you pay for everything from the factory door.
How much duty and GST will you pay on goods from China?
Most goods valued over AUD 1,000 need an import declaration, and you pay customs duty, GST and an import processing charge before they are released. The general duty rate for most goods is 5% of the customs value, and GST is 10%.
How ChAFTA can cut duty to zero
The China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) lets most goods of Chinese origin enter Australia duty free. To claim it, the goods must meet the agreement’s rules of origin, and you need a valid certificate of origin or declaration of origin from your supplier. Ask for it before the goods ship.
A worked example
GST is charged on the value of the taxable importation. That is the customs value, plus any duty, plus the cost of international transport and insurance. Using illustrative figures only:
- Customs value of goods: AUD 20,000.
- International freight and insurance: AUD 2,000.
- Duty without ChAFTA: 5% of AUD 20,000, which is AUD 1,000.
- GST without ChAFTA: 10% of AUD 23,000, which is AUD 2,300.
- Duty with ChAFTA: nil, if the origin rules and paperwork are met.
- GST with ChAFTA: 10% of AUD 22,000, which is AUD 2,200.
Businesses registered for GST can usually claim the GST back as a credit. Some can also defer paying it at the border under the ATO’s deferred GST scheme.
Importing alcohol and other excise goods
Alcohol, tobacco and fuel are treated differently. They attract duty at rates equivalent to Australian excise, and the AUD 1,000 threshold does not apply to alcohol or tobacco. Wine is also subject to wine equalisation tax. These rates are high and some are indexed, so confirm the current rate before you price a shipment. Tobacco also needs an import permit.
Which seasonal delays should importers plan around?
Four periods cause most of the delays when importing from China to Australia: Chinese New Year, Golden Week, the pre-Christmas peak and Australia’s stink bug season. Book early for each one.
- Chinese New Year (late January to mid-February): Factories close for two weeks or more, and the rush beforehand fills vessels. Have orders finished and booked several weeks ahead.
- Golden Week (first week of October): A national holiday that shuts factories and slows ports for about a week.
- Peak season (August to October): Retailers ship Christmas stock, so space tightens and rates rise.
- Brown marmorated stink bug season (1 September to 30 April): Goods shipped from China in this period can be picked for random onshore biosecurity inspections, which can add days to clearance.
- Typhoon season (July to September): Storms can close southern and eastern Chinese ports for a day or more and push schedules back.
Biosecurity delays happen all year too. Timber packaging must be treated and marked to the ISPM 15 standard, and containers should arrive clean and free of soil, seeds and insects.
How does shipping from China to Australia work, step by step?
The process runs in eight steps, from checking import rules to final delivery. If you are working out how to import from China to Australia for the first time, follow them in order.
- Check the import conditions. Look up your product in BICON and confirm whether it needs a permit, treatment or inspection.
- Agree the Incoterm with your supplier. This sets who arranges and pays for each leg.
- Book the freight. Choose sea or air, and FCL or LCL, based on volume and deadline.
- Gather the documents. You need a commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or air waybill, packing declaration and ChAFTA origin document.
- Clear export and ship. The goods clear Chinese customs and are loaded.
- Lodge the import declaration. This can be done before arrival. Duty, GST and charges are paid at this stage.
- Complete any biosecurity directions. This may mean an inspection, fumigation or other treatment.
- Deliver the goods. The container is carted from the wharf and delivered or unpacked.
Key takeaways
- Port choice: Ship from the major port nearest your supplier to save inland cost and time.
- Transit time: Allow two to five weeks by sea port to port, plus time at each end, or about a week by air.
- Border costs: Budget for 10% GST and up to 5% duty on goods over AUD 1,000.
- ChAFTA: Get the origin paperwork right and most Chinese-origin goods enter duty free.
- Excise goods: Alcohol and tobacco attract duty and GST at any value.
- Timing: Book early around Chinese New Year, Golden Week, peak season and stink bug season.
Official Resources and Regulatory Compliance
- Australian Border Force (ABF): The ABF regulates import declarations and collects customs duty and the import processing charge. Import declarations
- Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF): DAFF regulates biosecurity at the border, including seasonal measures for brown marmorated stink bug. BMSB seasonal measures
- BICON: DAFF’s Biosecurity Import Conditions system sets the import conditions and permit requirements for each commodity. BICON
- Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT): DFAT administers the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement and its rules of origin. ChAFTA
- Australian Taxation Office (ATO): The ATO regulates GST on imported goods, the deferred GST scheme and excise-equivalent goods. ATO
- Austrade: Austrade supports Australian exporters with market information and export guidance, including for China. Austrade
How Kenneth Lloyd Global helps importers ship from China
Kenneth Lloyd Global has 25 years’ experience in global logistics, with foundations in customs brokerage and compliance. For cargo from China, that covers three core services under one roof: freight forwarding, customs clearance and local transport. That experience and network are what keep shipments moving efficiently: the right documentation is prepared early, and each step is actioned in advance.
- China network: Offices in Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Qingdao, Tianjin, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Dalian and Foshan, so cargo is handled close to your supplier.
- Independent advice: KLG is not aligned to any shipping line, so the service is matched to your cargo and deadline.
- Licensed and accredited: KLG holds a customs broker licence and Australian Trusted Trader accreditation, and is a member of the Freight and Trade Alliance.
- Biosecurity: KLG arranges DAFF inspections, fumigation and treatment, with a warehouse approved for biosecurity inspections.
- Specialist cargo: Dangerous goods are handled by sea and air, and alcohol and excise goods are a speciality.
- Delivery: KLG clears and delivers across Australia, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and WA, and into New Zealand. Wharf cartage, container unpacking, warehousing and marine cargo insurance can all be arranged.
- Exports: KLG handles exports as well as imports, for businesses sending goods the other way.
Get a quote for your next shipment
Planning on shipping from China to Australia? Send through your supplier’s location, cargo details and delivery address, and KLG will come back with an itemised quote.
Call Chris Ciantar, Managing Director, on +61 412 983 265 or email chris@kennethlloyd.com.au. Chris is available after hours and on weekends. You can also send your details through the KLG contact form.
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Australia take?
Sea freight usually takes about two to five weeks port to port, depending on the Chinese port, the Australian port and whether the service is direct. Add time for booking, customs clearance and delivery at each end. Air freight typically takes around five to eight days door to door.
Do I pay duty and GST on goods imported from China?
Usually, yes. Goods valued over AUD 1,000 need an import declaration. GST is 10% of the value of the taxable importation. The general duty rate is 5%, but most goods that meet ChAFTA origin rules enter duty free. Alcohol and tobacco attract duty and GST at any value.
Is sea freight or air freight cheaper from China?
Sea freight is almost always cheaper per kilogram and suits heavy, bulky or non-urgent cargo. Air freight costs more but is far faster, so it suits small, high-value or urgent goods. Many importers use both: sea for regular stock and air for top-ups when stock runs low.
When is the worst time to ship from China to Australia?
The tightest periods are the weeks before Chinese New Year in late January or February, the lead-up to Golden Week in early October, and the August to October peak before Christmas. Space fills quickly and rates rise. Stink bug season, from 1 September to 30 April, can also add inspection delays.