Discover How to Import to Australia - Step By Step Guide   by Rachel Incoll

in Business / Entrepreneurship    (submitted 2011-07-01)

So you're looking into learning how to import to Australia? Importing is a excellent business to get into and can also be very rewarding so it's a topic that's well worth learning about.

Importing literally opens up a whole new world of goods that you can bring to Australia. Some might not currently be available in Australia, or maybe you just want to cut out the middleman and save yourself a lot of money through importing, instead of buying from a local Australian wholesaler.

Other advantages include:

1. Benefitting from cheaper production overheads in countries such as China, Indonesia etc. Lower labour expenses in these countries permit products to be manufactured for a great deal less than here in Australia.


2. Being able to obtain a superior quality article. A few countries have built extremely strong reputations for being experts at producing certain goods eg. Italian leather handbags, European fashion footwear.

It's actually not that difficult to launch your own profitable importing business. Don't let a fear of the unknown put you off (like I did at first), just bite the bullet and get started!

How to Import to Australia

Step #1 - Research a Possible Niche

Market research is a very important step to take before opening any business - online or offline. You need to find out if enough people actually want to purchase your product in the first place and also check to find out how much competition you have. Is the market already saturated or not?

Step #2 - Identify a Suitable Supplier

Overseas suppliers can be sourced online or through contacts in community trade organisations. Whatever you do though, make sure you do some background checks on any would-be supplier first to make sure they really are who they say! The majority of overseas businesses are genuine, but unfortunately there are some scammers there too.

Step #3 - Are There Any Special Rules For Your Goods?

While it's ok to bring many products into the country without any special requirements, there are a few items that are prohibited or restricted (you need special permission to import). Check with Australian Customs to find out if the product you would like to import is ok.

Step #4 - Organise Freight

You have 4 main choices to transport your product to Australia - worldwide courier, the postal system, air freight or sea freight. Whilst sea freight is definitely the cheapest method of shipment on a per kg basis, it's not always suited to the product you need to bring in & other methods such as air freight could end up working out cheaper for you. It's just a matter of doing your sums and working out the best option by weighing up the cost factor and how quickly you want your product (air freight is quicker).

Step #5 - Make Payment

If you haven't already received one, ask for an invoice from your supplier, & organise payment through your bank as soon as you're ready. Pay for you merchandise using a safe payment method - not cash in advance.

Step #6 - Clear Through Customs

Fill out the required paperwork for Customs so they can clear your goods quickly. You'll also need to pay any applicable taxes and stamp duty.

Step #7 - Sell Your Product For An Impressive Profit & Repeat the Process Again!

With a bit of thought and planning, importing to Australia really isn't that difficult. You don't need to be a big business or have tens of thousands to spend to get started (I started importing with less than $500). Importing is a business that almost anybody can do.

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You'll discover everything you need to know about how to import to Australia in Importing to Australia Simplified. Stop thinking about it - take action today and start your own, profitable importing business now!