✈️ Air Freight

China to … Air Freight (Duty Paid)

Door-to-door transit 5-10 business days. Duty and final delivery are inside the published rate.

Air freight — China to Australia

Air Freight from China to … runs 5-10 business days door to door, clearing through the destination customs authority. Duty, customs handling and final delivery are inside the quoted rate. Send weight and dimensions for a firm figure on your cargo.

Transit time: 5-10 business days
Destination: …, Australia
Customs authority: the destination customs authority
Duty-free threshold: AUD 1,000

Published channel rate for planning. The final quote depends on chargeable weight, cargo class and HS code.

Contents

Current Freight Rates

Price data updating. Contact us for current rates.

Trade Terms Explained — Who Pays for What

The rate above is quoted on one specific trade term. Change the term and you change how much of the journey to Australia is already inside the price. The table below maps the eleven common Incoterms® against the twelve cost stages of a door-to-door shipment, so you can see exactly where our responsibility ends and yours begins.

Seller — Cost and arrangement sit with the seller / shipper.
Buyer — Cost and arrangement sit with the buyer / consignee.
Negotiable — Not fixed by the rule — agree it in the contract.

Responsibility for each shipment stage under each Incoterms rule
Term	1 Loading on truck	2 Export customs declaration	3 Carriage to port of export	4 Unloading at port of export	5 Loading on vessel / aircraft	6 Main carriage	7 Cargo insurance	8 Unloading at port of import	9 Loading on truck at import	10 Carriage to destination	11 Import customs clearance	12 Import duties & taxes
EXW Ex Works	Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck	Buyer Buyer — Export customs declaration	Buyer Buyer — Carriage to port of export	Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of export	Buyer Buyer — Loading on vessel / aircraft	Buyer Buyer — Main carriage	Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance	Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import	Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import	Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination	Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance	Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
FCA Free Carrier	Seller Seller — Loading on truck	Seller Seller — Export customs declaration	Buyer Buyer — Carriage to port of export	Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of export	Buyer Buyer — Loading on vessel / aircraft	Buyer Buyer — Main carriage	Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance	Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import	Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import	Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination	Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance	Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
FAS Free Alongside Ship	Seller Seller — Loading on truck	Seller Seller — Export customs declaration	Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export	Buyer Buyer — Loading on vessel / aircraft	Buyer Buyer — Main carriage	Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance	Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import	Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import	Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination	Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance	Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
FOB Free On Board	Seller Seller — Loading on truck	Seller Seller — Export customs declaration	Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export	Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft	Buyer Buyer — Main carriage	Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance	Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import	Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import	Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination	Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance	Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
CFR Cost and Freight	Seller Seller — Loading on truck	Seller Seller — Export customs declaration	Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export	Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft	Seller Seller — Main carriage	Buyer Buyer — Cargo insurance	Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import	Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import	Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination	Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance	Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
CIF Cost, Insurance and Freight	Seller Seller — Loading on truck	Seller Seller — Export customs declaration	Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export	Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft	Seller Seller — Main carriage	Seller Seller — Cargo insurance	Buyer Buyer — Unloading at port of import	Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import	Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination	Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance	Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
CPT Carriage Paid To	Seller Seller — Loading on truck	Seller Seller — Export customs declaration	Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export	Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft	Seller Seller — Main carriage	Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import	Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import	Seller Seller — Carriage to destination	Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance	Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
CIP Carriage and Insurance Paid	Seller Seller — Loading on truck	Seller Seller — Export customs declaration	Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export	Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft	Seller Seller — Main carriage	Seller Seller — Cargo insurance	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import	Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import	Seller Seller — Carriage to destination	Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance	Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
DAT Delivered At Terminal (DPU)	Seller Seller — Loading on truck	Seller Seller — Export customs declaration	Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export	Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft	Seller Seller — Main carriage	Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import	Buyer Buyer — Loading on truck at import	Buyer Buyer — Carriage to destination	Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance	Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
DAP Delivered At Place	Seller Seller — Loading on truck	Seller Seller — Export customs declaration	Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export	Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft	Seller Seller — Main carriage	Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import	Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import	Seller Seller — Carriage to destination	Buyer Buyer — Import customs clearance	Buyer Buyer — Import duties & taxes
DDP Delivered Duty Paid	Seller Seller — Loading on truck	Seller Seller — Export customs declaration	Seller Seller — Carriage to port of export	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of export	Seller Seller — Loading on vessel / aircraft	Seller Seller — Main carriage	Negotiable Negotiable — Cargo insurance	Seller Seller — Unloading at port of import	Seller Seller — Loading on truck at import	Seller Seller — Carriage to destination	Seller Seller — Import customs clearance	Seller Seller — Import duties & taxes

EXW Ex Works

Buyer takes over at the seller's door and carries every cost from there. Lowest quoted price, highest buyer workload.

FCA Free Carrier

Seller clears the goods for export and hands them to the carrier the buyer nominated.

FAS Free Alongside Ship

Sea and inland waterway only. Seller delivers alongside the vessel; loading is on the buyer.

FOB Free On Board

Sea and inland waterway only. Risk passes once the goods are on board. The most common buying term.

CFR Cost and Freight

Seller pays the main carriage but carries no insurance obligation; risk still passes on loading.

CIF Cost, Insurance and Freight

As CFR, plus the seller must buy and pay for cargo insurance (minimum cover unless you agree more).

CPT Carriage Paid To

Any mode. Seller pays carriage through to the named destination; insurance is not obligatory.

CIP Carriage and Insurance Paid

As CPT, plus the seller must insure the cargo through to the named destination.

DAT Delivered At Terminal (DPU)

Seller delivers unloaded at the named terminal. Renamed DPU (Delivered at Place Unloaded) in Incoterms® 2020.

DAP Delivered At Place

Seller delivers to your address ready for unloading; import clearance and duty stay with the buyer.

DDP Delivered Duty Paid

Seller carries everything through to your door, duty and tax included. Highest quoted price, least buyer workload.

Two things worth flagging. Under CIF and CIP the seller is obliged to buy cargo insurance and pay the premium; under every other term insurance is optional, and we recommend buyers arrange their own cover so a loss or damage in transit is recoverable. And this table is a working summary for planning purposes — the binding definitions are the ones published by the International Chamber of Commerce in the Incoterms® rules, so confirm the exact term wording in your sales contract before you ship.

Service Details

China → Australia CN Air – General Cargo Duty Paid

Shipping from China to Australia by air freight, priced per KG. The tiers below are the live rate card for this channel; they move with the market, so the refresh date under the table is the date the numbers were last confirmed rather than the date the page was built.

Cargo on this service moves through SYD (Sydney), MEL (Melbourne) and BNE. Clearance happens at the arrival airport, so an inland consignee adds a trucking leg on top of the transit time quoted here. Expect 3–7 days of dwell at destination before release.

This rate is freight only. Import charges for Australia are assessed separately on arrival — GST 10%; duty 0–5% — and whoever is named as importer of record is liable for them. If you would rather have one all-in number, ask us for the duty-paid version of this lane.

Space on this lane tightens through Sep–Nov, which is peak season for Australia. Rates published outside that window are not a reliable guide to what you will pay inside it, so if your order lands in peak, book earlier rather than budgeting from an off-peak figure.

Current Rate Card

21-49 — USD 52.25 per KG
50-99 — USD 51.24 per KG
100-299 — USD 50.73 per KG
300-499 — USD 50.23 per KG
500-999 — USD 49.72 per KG
1000+ — USD 50.23 per KG

Last refreshed 2026-08-06.

Australia air cargo on this service routes through SYD (Sydney), MEL (Melbourne) and BNE. Where more than one gateway is listed the booked one depends on space on the day; the rate is the same either way, but the inland delivery leg beyond the airport is not.

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Additional Information

Booking Conditions and Destination Requirements

Chargeable weight on this service is the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight, with volumetric calculated as length × width × height in centimeters divided by 6000. For anything light and bulky the volumetric figure is the one that bills, which is why carton dimensions are worth optimizing before you book rather than after the cargo is weighed at the airport.

General commercial cargo. Battery, magnetic, liquid and powder content must be declared at booking, not on arrival
Chargeable weight is the greater of actual and volumetric weight (divisor 6000)
Fuel and security surcharges, remote-area delivery and oversize handling are quoted on top where they apply
Routing on this lane is via SYD (Sydney), MEL (Melbourne) and BNE — inland delivery beyond that point is quoted against the delivery address
Clearance at destination is handled by Australian Border Force (ABF)
Australia de-minimis: AUD 1,000 — commercial consignments sit above it and are dutiable in full
Destination conformity: RCM mark; biosecurity inspection for timber/packaging

On the duty side, the applicable regime is: GST 10%; duty 0–5%. Those are planning references rather than a ruling: the rate that binds is the one assessed against your declared HS code at the moment of entry, and classification is where most landed-cost surprises actually originate. Duty and tax are settled in AUD at destination.

Paperwork closes more shipments into Australia late than freight does. Invoice, packing list and any certificate of origin have to describe the same goods at the same value, and the description has to be specific enough to classify — 'electronic parts' is not a description, it is an invitation to be examined.

Where these numbers come from

Treat the landed-cost numbers here as a planning baseline. Australian Border Force sets the rate that actually gets charged, assessed against your HS classification at the moment of clearance, so their own guidance is worth reading before a large order.

If you want to sanity-check a duty figure yourself, start from the heading rather than the product name — the WCO Harmonized System is the underlying nomenclature, and the WTO Tariff & Trade Data portal holds the applied rates by country pair.

On the air side, anything with a cell or a battery in it, plus liquids, powders, magnets and aerosols, is governed by the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. Those articles are not refused outright, but they need to be declared at booking so the shipment is built correctly — declaring them late is the single most common cause of an air consignment being offloaded.

On the origin side, export declaration and any commodity inspection requirement fall under China Customs (GACC); we handle that filing as part of the service, but the requirement is theirs, not ours.

For a wider view of how importing into Australia actually works — documentation norms, inspection behavior, the paperwork that tends to hold shipments — the U.S. ITA guide to Australia customs regulations is a useful independent read alongside our own lane notes.

China to Australia — Shipping Reference Data

Main air gateways	SYD (Sydney), MEL (Melbourne), BNE
Destination customs authority	Australian Border Force (ABF)
De-minimis / duty-free threshold	AUD 1,000
Import tax & duty regime	GST 10%; duty 0–5%
Local currency	AUD
Typical clearance / dwell time	3–7 days
Peak / busy season	Sep–Nov
Conformity & certification	RCM mark; biosecurity inspection for timber/packaging

Thresholds and duty bands are buyer-planning references, not formal customs rulings — confirm the exact HS-code rate for your goods before shipping.

Free 3D Loading Tools for This Air Route

This page covers a Air freight service from China to Australia. Use the matching tool below to plan your cargo before requesting a quote.

3D Carton Packing Calculator

Dimensional weight often decides the final air rate to Australia. Simulate your carton fill in 3D, including mixed products in one box, and export the packing plan for your supplier.

Open Packing Tool →

Australia Air Freight Checklist

Label every carton with destination, carton number, and total count (e.g. 3/12).
Confirm whether the Australia rate includes fuel and security surcharges or lists them separately.
Keep single cartons under 30 KG for air handling to Australia to avoid overweight surcharges.
Shrink-wrap and corner-protect cartons — air cargo is transloaded multiple times.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does CN Air – General Cargo Duty Paid from China to Australia take?

Air freight on this route runs about 5–10 business days door-to-door, plus roughly 3–7 days of clearance/dwell once it reaches the gateway. All times include customs clearance under DDP terms.

What duties and taxes apply when importing into Australia?

Clearance is handled by Australian Border Force (ABF). The regime is: GST 10%; duty 0–5%, with a de-minimis position of AUD 1,000. Under DDP these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival.

Which ports or airports does this route use into Australia?

Sea cargo to Australia clears through Sydney (Port Botany), Melbourne, Brisbane; air freight clears via SYD (Sydney), MEL (Melbourne), BNE. We route through whichever gateway gives the fastest onward delivery to your address and build it into the DDP price.

In what currency is this route priced and paid?

Freight is quoted and invoiced in USD; the destination-side currency is AUD. Payment is typically due before departure, and DDP means you settle the full landed cost once.

When does capacity tighten on the China–Australia lane?

Space and rates tighten around Sep–Nov, plus the China-side windows of Chinese New Year (Jan/Feb) and Golden Week (early Oct). Book 1–2 weeks earlier in these periods.

What documents are required for customs clearance in Australia?

Australian Border Force (ABF) typically requires a commercial invoice with HS codes, a packing list, the bill of lading/air waybill, a certificate of origin (may lower duty), and any product certification (RCM mark; biosecurity inspection for timber/packaging). We file these under DDP.

Shipping Australia cargo by industry

This rate is for the lane. What decides whether the cargo arrives intact is the commodity — how it prices, how it must be packed and loaded, and which compliance step holds it at the border. These guides cover that per industry.

All 139 industry guides →

Contact Us

Ready to ship? Our team responds within one business day. We also handle sourcing and purchasing.

Customs clearance in Australia

Duty and tax position, certification, typical port dwell and what actually holds shipments at this border — plus who files the entry.

Australia clearance requirements →