Thailand has manufacturing costs and therefore much cheaper labor than Australia. It is therefore quite natural for companies to import products from Thailand to save money. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has released figures on its exports. From Australia’s point of view, Thailand’s imports amount to nearly £15 billion a year. Thailand ranks fifth in the ranking of the main product importing countries in Australia.

SEA FREIGHT TO AUSTRALIA

sea-freight-guide

TOP 5 – Shipping line

cma-cgm-shipping-line
cosco-shipping-line
evergreen-shipping-line
maersk-shipping-line
msc-shipping-line

Overview – Ocean cargo from Thailand to Australia

Main ports

Brisbane

The port of Brisbane is Queensland’s largest cargo port. The Port of Brisbane plays a key role for us, as a Thai-based freight forwarder, because of its proximity to the Asia Pacific Region. South-Asian countries have become Australian’s biggest trading partners over the years.

Fremantle

Fremantle Harbour is located in the Western part of the country. This port is the largest and busiest in this region, handling huge volumes of all kinds of products. Its geographic situation, being located within the Perth Metropolitan Region, makes it one of the key hubs of the country.

Obviously, we also ship to the other largest ports of the country, to ensure a maximum flexibility to our customers. Here are some other examples of cargo ports we are used to ship to, on a daily or weekly basis: MelbourneSydneyTownsville, Port Hedland, Dampier, Gladstone, etc.

Sea freight rates

If you need quick deliveries from Thailand to Australia, ocean freight is not the best option to be considered. Sea freight is the best option for companies and individuals who are not in a hurry, and who aim at saving some money on the shipping process.

In fact, sea freight comes with two main benefits: you can ship high volumes, at the best price. This can be particularly interesting for regular traffic with high volumes between both countries.

*As mentioned before, SIAM Shipping is able to offer every kind of service for every single type of volume!

Transit times

From To Estimated Transit Time
Bangkok Adelaide 22-24 days
Bangkok Brisbane 19-21 days
Bangkok Darwin 24-26 days
Bangkok Fremantle 14-16 days
Bangkok Melbourne 21-23 days
Bangkok Port Kembla 16-18 days
Bangkok Sydney 23-25 days
Bangkok Townsville 33-35 days

*Please note that those transit times are just indicative timing between Thailand and Australia

AIR FREIGHT TO AUSTRALIA

air freight guide

Main airports

Sydney

Most of the shipments we handle from Thailand to Australia are headed to Sydney. This is the busiest airport in the country. All major airlines have services in this airport, enabling prompt and ever-available air freight services.

Melbourne

Tullamarine Airport is the second largest airport in the country. It is the main hub for largest Australian companies such as Jetstar Airways, Tiger Airways Australia and Qantas. SIAM Shipping is thus aware that ensuring a strong and frequent there is crucial for our clients’ business operations.

Brisbane

Brisbane airport has also a cargo terminal, handling high volumes every single day. This is also a key logistic hub of the country that we are used to ship to. As it goes for sea freight, we ensure a full coverage of the Australian territory by shipping to all major international airports of the country.

Air freight rates

Air freight is a more expensive option as compared to sea freight. But obviously the main advantage of this freight mode is the time-effectiveness that comes with it.

Instead of providing random shipping costs, more important is that you understand how we calculate our rates.

For example, let’s say you want to transport a parcel that have the following dimensions: W: 91, H: 47, L:26, the total volume is 0.111m3. If you multiply it by 167, the volumetric weight of your air shipment is 18.53kgs.

When shipping by air, you have to know that 1 CBM= 167 kgs. In this way, you have to multiply the volume of your parcel by 167. As an example, let’s take the following situation:

You need to ship the following parcel: W: 120, H: 78, L, 45, for a total volume of 0.42m3. 0.42 * 167 = 70 kgs (rounded). The volumetric weight of your parcel is thus 70 kgs. If this weight is higher than the real weight of your shipment, we have to consider this one when quoting for it.

The weight is not the only factor affecting the quotation. Naturally, the price will also depend on the service you require.

*A door-to-door service will obviously be more expensive than a door-to-airport.

how-to-calculate-gross-weight-airfreight-shipments

how-to-calculate-gross-weight-airfreight-shipments

Transit times

From To Estimated Transit Time
Bangkok (BKK/DMK) Adelaide 1-3 days
Bangkok (BKK/DMK) Brisbane 1-3 days
Bangkok (BKK/DMK) Sydney 1-3 days
Bangkok (BKK/DMK) Perth 1-3 days
Bangkok (BKK/DMK) Melbourne 1-3 days

*It is almost impossible to provide accurate transit times when it comes to Air freight!

In fact, air freight transit times depend on various factors:

  • Different budget, different transit times

At SIAM Shipping, we are truly committed to adapt our offer to your needs and budget. In this way, whether you need to arrange an urgent shipment on the next available flight, express shipping, or a standard air freight service, we have a solution for you.

However, as you can guess, the final transit time will be shorter if you require an urgent shipment, as compared to a standard one, requiring 2 or 3 days more usually.

  • Transit times are not only made up of flight duration

When it comes to air freight, you have to keep in mind that flight duration isn’t the only factor to consider.

In fact, when shipping by air, you have to take into consideration the only steps of the logistic chain:

  • Packing
  • Customs clearance
  • Delivery

You are looking for logistics and/or sourcing services ? You need a dedicated assistance ?
Our experts will answer you within 24h !

What duties and taxes will I pay for my goods ?

Most imported goods are subject to Australian Customs duties and 10% goods service tax. There are many different regulations and sometimes complex duty rates applicable to imported cargo.

There is no need to be in possession of any import license for unrestricted items, but as an importer, you have to obtain a permit to proceed to customs clearance.

Here are the basics documents that have to be provided to undergo customs clearance:

  • Customs Entry (Informal Clearance Document – ICD)
  • Airway Bill (AWB) / Bill of Lading (BOL)
  • Commercial Invoices (Incoterm, name/address of the supplier, currency, country of origin)

*Now let’s have a close look at the cases for which things are different.

GST on Imported Goods

In Australia, the Department of Home Affairs collects GST on taxable importations. The GST payable accounts for 10% of the value of the taxable importation.

Thus, the total value is the sum of:

  • The customs value of the goods
  • Customs duty payable
  • The amount paid or payable to transport the goods to their place of consignment in Australia
  • The insurance cost for that transport
  • Any other tax payable

Usually, GST has to be paid prior to the release of the cargo by Home Affairs. If you are not registered under the deferred GST scheme yet, then you’ll pay GST at the same time, at the same place, and in the same manner as you would do for customs duty.

*Goods and services tax (GST) has to be paid for the majority of goods being imported into Australia.

Import duties from Thailand to Australia

Tariffs and Taxes

Australia is aligned with the Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) for imported and exported goods coming from members states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Here is the composition of an HS Code, you can now see what an HS code is and what does it mean.

hs-code-example

customs-tariff-australia

Customs contact in Thailand

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Customs contact in Australia

Australian_Border_Force

Customs process

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Drug Contraband

drug contraband

Ivory

ivory

Poison

poison

Explosives

explosives

Batteries

loose lithium batteries

Pornography

pornography

 

Biohazard

biohazard

Flammable

flammable-combustible

Knife

tactical knives

Chemicals

chemicals

Firearms

firearms

Tobacco

tobacco

Corrosive

corrosive

Drugs

Prescription Drugs

Gambling

gambling

Counterfeit

counterfeit

Counterfeit Notes

means of payment

Hazardous

hazardous material

Introduction

A great way to offer a wider offer to the customer is to offer products that come from other countries, especially if you can not find a local manufacturer. But it is not easy because of the multitude of regulations and the costs that can be incurred by products imported from abroad.

We offer you a 10 step guide to read before ordering your container to understand the most important subtleties of importing products.

Step 1 – Make sure you’re aware of importing laws and government regulations

There are certain rules imposed by the Australian government that you must respect when importing goods. You will find lots of information on the internet to understand how it works. Remember that all imports must comply with government regulations.

We should start with the rules of government imports. Watching these rules of the Ministry of Immigration and Border Protection is very important. They are the ones who are responsible for the goods.

Step 2 – Find out if you need a specific permit

Having a general license to import goods into Australia is not necessarily necessary for businesses or individuals. Sometimes you may be asked for a permit for certain types of goods at the time of customs.

There are goods that are prohibited from importing. This includes products such as hazardous chemicals, pharmaceuticals, narcotics, certain foods, weapons, tobacco and biological materials. Chemicals have specific regulations.

Step 3 – Learn if your goods will need to be quarantined

If you are transporting plants or animals, mineral or human products. These will be quarantined for processing. You can find full details of quarantine rules in Australia here : business.gov.au – Quarantine rules

Step 4 – Learn about the tariffs and taxes you’ll need to pay

You will probably have taxes to pay on imported products.

You need to understand:

  • Import the entry fees and processing fees you can find here : Australian customs
  • Valorize your goods for customs duties.
  • Find out if you have to pay taxes on products and services.
  • Obtain the right tariff classification for your products.
  • Taxes on alcohol, tobacco and fuel.
  • An Australian business number for claiming tax credits and deferring tax payments may be requested. You should contact your tax office for more information.

Step 5 – Understand the charges for import duty, and goods and services sales tax

You will find an estimate of the types of fees you will have to pay: for products with a value greater than $ 1,000 AUD, there will certainly be GST import duties payable.

  • Import entry fees and processing fees – Customs will charge you a fee (generally less than $ 200 AUD) for processing your goods.
  • Customs import duty is a percentage of the price you paid for the goods. The rate of duty can vary from 0% to 10%, it is often a 5%
  • The Goods and Services Sales Tax (GST) will also be charged based on the following:
  • valuation of assets more;
  • The amount of the Customs import duty plus;
  • Cost of goods insurance their transportation to Australia.
  • The GST is invoiced at 10% of the final amount. This is a general guide on products, fees vary depending on the products you can import.

Step 6 – Take advantage of any concessions

Many free trade agreements exist between Australia and other countries around the world. This limits international trade barriers and thus reduces import costs. You can find a lot of information about ALE, depending on which country you are importing from.

For more information, check official free trade agreement.

Step 7 – Find out about other costs

There are several different types of cost you need to be prepared:

  • The cost of purchasing the goods
  • Shipping and logistics costs for shipping.
  • Freight handling fees at airports or ports.
  • Insurance costs if you sign up

Step 8 – Make sure your goods are labelled accurately

Your goods must also be properly labeled. It will be necessary to display the country of manufacture and of origin, a complete description of the merchandise, the address of the recipient and that of the sender. The labels are in English attached so that it can be seen very easily on the cardboard.

Step 9 – If in doubt, check with the authorities

Each import will be different from the previous one. It is necessary to check all the information that you can find in the advice that we give you above. If you need you can talk to the customs coordinates are available below.

Contact them on the following link: Australian authorities

Step 10 – Paying for your goods in foreign currency

It is not easy to import products, the payment of suppliers from abroad is an example. For example, you can use OFX. They are specialists in international payments for Australian companies. Each customer of this company is going to have a personal manager providing forward exchange contracts for example.

Reactivity

Contact us and receive an answer within 24 hours maximum

Dedicated Customs Service

Our customs broker will guarantee a trouble-free clearance

Custom service

Small or big expedition, we manage all your needs!

Competitive

We guarantee very competitive prices. Just compare!

Multilingual customer service

We speak English, French and Thai to avoid misunderstanding

Reliable

We secure all our shipments, safety is our priority!
siam shipping-reliable and secure

 

SIAM Shipping | Procurement - Quality control - Logistics

 

Alibaba, Dhgate, made-in-china... Many know of websites to get supplies in Asia, but how many have come across a scam ?! It is very risky to pay an Asian supplier halfway around the world based only on promises! DocShipper offers you complete procurement services integrating logistics needs: purchasing, quality control, customization, licensing, transport...

Communication is important, which is why we strive to discuss in the most suitable way for you!

SIAM Shipping info: Do you like our article today? For your business interest, you may like the following useful articles :

SIAM Shipping Advise : We help you with the entire sourcing process so don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions!

  • Having trouble finding the appropriate product? Enjoy our sourcing services, we directly find the right suppliers for you!
  • You don't trust your supplier? Ask our experts to do quality control to guarantee the condition of your goods!
  • Do you need help with the logistics? Our international freight department supports you with door to door services!
  • You don't want to handle distribution? Our 3PL department will handle the storage, order fulfillment, and last-mile delivery!

 

SIAM Shipping | Procurement - Quality control - Logistics

 

Alibaba, Dhgate, made-in-china... Many know of websites to get supplies in Asia, but how many have come across a scam ?! It is very risky to pay an Asian supplier halfway around the world based only on promises! DocShipper offers you complete procurement services integrating logistics needs: purchasing, quality control, customization, licensing, transport...

 

Communication is important, which is why we strive to discuss in the most suitable way for you!