Shipping From China to Amazon FBA in Australia: Sea vs Air, Incoterms, Customs and Delivery

To ship from China to Amazon FBA in Australia, book freight from your supplier (sea for bulk and cost, air for speed), make sure you or a licensed customs broker lodges the Australian import declaration, pay duty, GST and charges, then have a carrier deliver to the fulfilment centre on a booked appointment. Amazon SEND is a booking route for air and ocean from China. Dangerous goods cannot use it. This is general information, not legal or customs advice; confirm with the ABF or a licensed customs broker.

What are your options for moving stock from China to FBA?

Three practical routes, all requiring you to contract the carrier yourself.

For SEND, Amazon says you contract with an external partnered carrier, the carrier handles end-to-end shipping from customs clearances to delivery, and Amazon's role is only to help facilitate the booking. Payment goes directly to the carrier, not through Seller Central. Full container loads need the carrier to quote you, because Amazon's system cannot quote FCL at this time.

The workflow for creating the shipment itself is in Send to Amazon shipments.

Should you ship by sea or by air?

Compare on weight, value per kilo and how long a stockout would cost you.

The biosecurity charges are on the ABF charges page. Neither Amazon nor the ABF publishes typical freight rates or transit times, so get written quotes with a validity date and ask for the free time at the port. Many sellers send a first small batch by air to start sales, then sea freight for restocks timed against storage costs and capacity limits.

What do incoterms mean for your shipment?

Incoterms are the standard trade terms that split cost and risk between buyer and seller. Agree one in writing with your supplier. These are the ones you will meet.

• EXW (ex works). You take over at the factory door and arrange everything, including Chinese export clearance. Most control, most work.
• FOB (free on board). The supplier delivers to the vessel at the Chinese port and clears export. You pay sea freight onwards. Common for sea freight.
• CIF (cost, insurance and freight). The supplier pays freight and insurance to the Australian port. Risk still passes at loading.
• DAP (delivered at place). The supplier delivers to a named place in Australia, but you handle import clearance, duty and GST.
• DDP (delivered duty paid). The supplier claims to handle duty and GST too. Be careful: the importer named on the declaration is legally responsible, so check who that actually is. See importer of record on Amazon Australia.

The customs value must be in Australian dollars, converted at the exchange rate prevailing on the day of export, not the day of arrival. Freight and insurance are added when GST is worked out. The costs are in import duty and GST for Amazon FBA.

How does customs clearance work in Australia?

Clearance has to be lodged by the owner of the goods or a customs broker licensed by the Comptroller-General. The ABF encourages first-time or infrequent importers to use a licensed customs broker. In outline:

1. Under A$1,000 by air or sea cargo: a Self-Assessed Clearance declaration lodged in the Integrated Cargo System, often by the cargo reporter.
2. Over A$1,000: a full Import Declaration (N10), with duties, taxes and charges paid before release.
3. Import processing charge: A$0 up to A$1,000, A$50 above A$1,000 and under A$10,000, A$152 at A$10,000 or more, for electronic lodgement.

With Amazon SEND the partnered carrier clears at origin and destination on your behalf from the documents you give it. If duty is charged, the carrier pays it and bills you. Accurate commercial invoices, packing lists and product descriptions are your job; wrong values or descriptions are the commonest cause of holds. Prohibited and restricted goods need permission from the relevant agency and proof must be shown to the ABF.

What biosecurity and wood packaging rules apply?

Goods can be referred to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and the ABF collects a biosecurity cost recovery charge for the department on full import declarations for consignments over A$1,000.

Packaging matters as much as the product. The department's ISPM 15 page says Australia accepts ISPM 15-compliant solid timber packaging, that all packaging must be free from biosecurity risk material, and that packaging showing signs of pest infestation will be ordered for treatment, export or destruction. Its bark page says small bark pieces under 3 cm wide are acceptable. In practice:

• Ask the supplier for pallets and crates with the ISPM 15 stamp, or use plastic or pressed-wood alternatives.
• Keep cartons free of soil, seeds, insects and plant material.
• Check the Biosecurity Import Conditions database for your product, not just the packaging.

How do you deliver to the Amazon fulfilment centre?

Amazon's Australian centres are in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane, and the centre depends on your shipping plan. For small-parcel deliveries:

• The carrier must book a slot in Carrier Central; Amazon does not accept self-deliveries from sellers.
• Boxes must not exceed 75 cm in length, 15 kg without special requirements, and 15 to 30 kg boxes need heavy-package labels.
• Each parcel needs a unique Amazon shipping label.

Pallet and container deliveries follow rules that Amazon publishes only inside Seller Central, so ask your forwarder to confirm requirements with Amazon before cargo leaves China. Stock is typically available within three working days of delivery. Prep and labelling rules are in the prep guide, and a prep centre can sit between port and Amazon.

What goes wrong most often?

• Dangerous goods in the shipment. Amazon SEND does not allow them. See dangerous goods.
• Wrong customs value or description, leading to holds or penalties.
• Unlabelled stock, which Amazon charges for as unplanned prep.
• Inaccurate box weights and dimensions, which can add carrier charges.
• No one named to book the delivery slot.

FAQ

Can I ship from China directly to an Amazon FBA warehouse in Australia? Yes. Amazon SEND lets eligible sellers ship small parcels by air or LCL by ocean from China to Australian fulfilment centres through a partnered carrier, or you can use your own forwarder and book delivery in Carrier Central.

Who pays import duty and GST on stock from China? The importer. Under Amazon SEND the carrier pays any duty charged and bills you. Rates are per tariff line; see the duty and GST guide.

Is sea freight or air freight better for FBA? Sea is cheaper for bulk and planned restocks. Air is faster for launches and small valuable items. The ABF biosecurity charge is A$71 by sea and A$48 by air on full declarations over A$1,000.

Do I need a customs broker? Not strictly, since the owner of the goods can lodge, but the ABF encourages first-time or infrequent importers to use a licensed broker.

Can I ship batteries or aerosols using Amazon SEND? No, if they are classed as dangerous goods. Amazon says dangerous goods are prohibited from the SEND program, so any shipment containing them must go with your own carrier instead.

Do wooden pallets cause problems at the border? They can. Solid timber packaging must meet ISPM 15 and be free of biosecurity risk material, and infested packaging can be ordered treated, exported or destroyed.

Next step

Get two or three written quotes covering port to Amazon door, confirm the incoterm with your supplier and name who lodges the declaration before you pay a deposit. Blooprint is an Amazon SPN verified partner that works with Amazon.com.au sellers remotely from Bengaluru; Amazon FBA management in Australia covers inventory planning, not freight or customs. See the Australia hub for related guides.