As an Australian small business person, you should import your products rather than deal with the manufacturing process yourself. Nevertheless, one area that needs to be more frequently considered when sourcing products from China is how to import goods from China to Australia.

In this article, you’ll find information to help you successfully ship to Australia from China.

Shipping options between China and Australia

The five primary modes of importing products into Australia are;

• Air freight
• Sea Freight
• Express shipping
• International postal shipping
• Dedicate line shipping

Let us get deeper into what shipping options there are.

Express shipping

Express shipping is the fastest kind, takes the least time, and is the most costly. This is especially good when dealing with products with a short shelf-life, such as food items or products popular during the holiday season. Carriers are typically the option for express because packages are delivered within five days or less. 

Pros

• The best option for perishable and seasonal products
• It doesn’t impact the profit margin when you are selling small items of high value

Cons

• Only suitable for sending small items
• You are forced to pay extra charges

Air freight

Air freight is usually 30% more affordable than express shipping. It is the least expensive method for consignments of up to 100kg. Also, the cargo volume should be at most one entire space of 1.5-2 cubic meters.

You may also be required to spend more cash on particular cargo goods. This includes live animals, frozen foods, or wet commodities, which are wet when they come into contact with water. Remember that things like food, clothes, documents, and lithium battery devices like laptops, phones, cameras, toys, and cameras are also classified as special cargo.

Pros

• The best option for medium-sized shipments
• It has more flexibility than sea freight.

Cons

• It is not favorable for the transportation of weighty items
• Air shipment prohibits shipping of articles like magnets or aerosols with high energy.
• Suffering more costs in terms of handling special cargoes

Sea freight/Ocean Freight

Sea freight is the least expensive method of importing goods from China to Australia.

As for FCL solutions, these are more suitable for shipments of larger volumes that start from 14 cubic meters. LCL stands for less than container load and is best suited for shipment in small quantities of between 2 and 13 cubic meters.

When shipping using the FCL, the container accommodates a single or container load shipment. This also means that you will be bearing the total shipment cost as this comes as your responsibility. The benefit is that the likelihood of getting the shipment damaged is minimized because interaction with the shipment is minimized for you and your supplier.

After your supplier has packed FCL shipments, the container is closed, but the container arrives at your facility. It is also closed (unless the shipment gets to your facility via customs forfeiture). Sealing ensures that your goods are safe throughout transportation from origin to destination. This is why FCL shipments take a few days to be delivered compared to the LCL, which is because of the collection advantage.

On the other hand, the LCL shipment has the loading and unloading stages because it entails goods from many suppliers. That is because you are sharing both the physical space of the containers and the costs with the other importers as well. It is also among the causes that you are likely to experience a delay in your cargo shipment.

Sea freight subjects your goods to many weather elements, so they must be packed, labeled, and on pallets.

Pros

• The best approach, subsequently, if it’s a large load
• Less costly than express and air freight

Cons

• It’s the slower option
• Bad weather is expected, and you must be ready for it
• Be exposed to backlog problems at the ports.

Dedicated line shipping

A DLC entails the shipper purchasing a line from the carrier to transport his goods. This way, everything is clear; thus, no other customers or shipments interfere with your way.

The dedicated line service call cost is typically less expensive than utilizing delivery ODC’s such as FedEx or UPS. The companies that provide dedicated line shipping from China are Yanwen and Yunexpress. It is also quicker than posting parcels through the post and sending a range of products in bulk.

International postal shipping

This shipping mode is slower than the international express and dedicated line shipping. However, it is the cheapest and, hence, suitable when importing products from China to Australia. Postal shipment is ideal for standard merchandise, particularly those restricted by couriers.