Import Furniture from China to Australia.

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Agree the importer and the actual shipment

Australian Border Force — import requirements ↗ explains that there is no general import licence requirement, but this does not remove product-specific requirements. Confirm the importer, customs declaration arrangements and any permits or other controls applicable to the actual order.

Prepare an item list separating solid timber, wood panels, bamboo, rattan, upholstered pieces and other materials. Include quantities, construction and intended use. Customs classification and biosecurity review need more detail than a catalogue name such as “modern dining set.”

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Use BICON for the material and its condition

DAFF’s Australian DAFF — timber and wooden articles ↗ guidance directs importers to current biosecurity conditions. Search Australian DAFF — BICON import conditions ↗ for the actual commodity, processing and use. Requirements may include supporting information, treatment, inspection or other steps depending on the product; there is no universal fumigation rule for every furniture item.

The official Australian DAFF — types of timber and wood products ↗ guidance distinguishes categories. A solid-timber table, engineered-panel cabinet and woven natural-material chair should not automatically be treated as identical. For a mixed-material product, review the relevant components and ask what evidence must accompany the shipment.

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Check packing separately from the furniture

Wood packaging is a separate question from the furniture itself. Confirm the applicable requirements for pallets, crates and dunnage, including IPPC — ISPM 15 wood packaging ↗ where relevant. A mark on a shipping pallet does not establish that the furniture meets its own import conditions.

Specify clean packing, carton identification and protection against damage. Ask the supplier and forwarder how product materials and any treatment evidence will be recorded. Resolve missing or inconsistent documents before loading, and allow for inspection or other biosecurity costs in the budget.

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Separate customs value, duty and GST

Use Australian Border Force — import costs ↗ to investigate duty and charges. Australian Border Force — GST and other taxes ↗ explains the value of a taxable importation, which can include customs value, duty and relevant transport and insurance. Confirm the actual valuation and currency conversion with your broker.

Do not apply a GST rate only to the supplier invoice without checking the required base. Keep freight already included in a quotation from being added twice. The site calculator lets you enter a confirmed assessment base; selecting Australia does not automatically determine rates or exemptions.

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Get the full destination and delivery quotation

Compare freight options using packed volume, weight, stackability and destination. Ask separately about terminal handling, clearance, biosecurity intervention, storage exposure and local delivery. A low ocean-freight line can exclude substantial destination services.

• For residential orders, confirm truck access, unloading and carrying furniture indoors.
• For hotels, agree receiving dates, carton labels and installation responsibilities.
• Keep an allowance for uncertainty separate from official charges.

Before dispatch, ask your local customs broker to confirm the classification, current measures, tax bases and product evidence for this exact furniture order. Put confirmed amounts into the import budget calculator. Its figures are estimates based on your inputs, not a live customs quotation for Australia.