Shipping from China to Australia
Australia has some of the world's strictest border biosecurity, and timber packaging is one of the first things officers look at. We build the crates and pallets ourselves, so packaging and freight are planned together from day one.
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Wooden Crates, Pallets and Australian Biosecurity
Australia's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry treats solid timber packaging as a pathway for wood-boring pests. Pallets, crates, skids, and dunnage made from solid wood generally need to be treated to the international ISPM 15 standard and carry its official stamp. Packaging that does not meet the import conditions can be held, treated at your cost, or rejected on arrival, and the cargo waits with it.
Because our factory designs and builds custom crates and pallets in-house, we settle the material question before anything is packed: ISPM 15-marked solid timber, plywood or other engineered board, or plastic pallets where they suit the load. Timber is checked for bark, soil, and debris, and we can photograph the ISPM 15 markings for your records before the container is sealed.
Australian Ports, Border Force and Amazon.com.au
Ocean freight from Shenzhen most often discharges at Sydney (Port Botany), Melbourne, or Brisbane on the east coast, at Fremantle for Perth and Western Australia, or at Adelaide for South Australia. The Australian Border Force handles customs clearance and collects duty and GST, while biosecurity checks run alongside. A licensed customs broker in Australia normally lodges the import declaration.
- FCL or LCL sea freight to whichever capital-city port is closest to your warehouse, avoiding long interstate trucking.
- Air cargo into the main Australian airports when a launch date or stockout cannot wait for a ship.
- Courier parcels for prototypes, retail samples, and small top-ups.
Amazon.com.au sellers can have FNSKU labeling, bagging, and inspection completed here first. See our full service list or how warehousing & freight booking works. Retail chains, 3PLs, and business addresses in every state are covered too.
Australia Import FAQ
What happens if wooden pallets or crates arrive in Australia without an ISPM 15 mark?
Solid timber packaging that cannot be shown to meet Australia's import conditions, normally through ISPM 15 treatment and the stamped mark, can be directed for inspection, held until it is treated at the importer's cost, or ordered to be exported again or destroyed. The goods inside wait while that is resolved. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry sets these rules, and they apply to every wooden pallet, crate, skid, and dunnage piece in the container, not just to the product.
Is plywood or cardboard packaging treated the same way as solid wood?
Generally no. Engineered wood such as plywood, particleboard, and OSB, along with corrugated cardboard and plastic pallets, is usually outside ISPM 15 because the manufacturing process removes the pest risk. That is why switching to plywood crates or plastic pallets is a common way to avoid timber issues entirely. Australian conditions are still checked case by case, so confirm current requirements in the department's BICON import conditions database for your shipment before relying on any exemption.
Do I pay GST on goods imported into Australia from China?
GST generally applies to goods imported into Australia and is assessed by the Australian Border Force together with any customs duty when your broker lodges the import declaration. Registered businesses may be able to defer or claim it under the GST rules that apply to them. Your customs broker or accountant should confirm how it works for your company; we make sure the commercial invoice values and product descriptions are accurate so the calculation starts from correct data.
Can you deliver to Amazon.com.au fulfillment centers?
Yes. Amazon.com.au operates its own FBA network, and we prepare stock to its labeling and packaging requirements in Shenzhen before booking freight to the fulfillment center named in your inbound plan. If your cartons are going on wooden pallets, we confirm the pallets meet Australian biosecurity conditions first, because a biosecurity hold at the port delays the whole delivery to Amazon.
Importing into Australia?
Tell us what you are shipping, whether it needs crating or palletizing, and the destination city. Transit time and cost are quoted for your shipment within 12 hours (Monday–Saturday).