Landed your first overseas order? We'll get your goods from your door to your buyer, sort out the paperwork, and explain every step in plain English. You focus on the sale; we'll handle the rest.
From checking your goods can leave Australia to getting paid by your buyer, here's what happens on your first export and where we take care of it for you.
Make sure you have an ABN. Some goods, such as food, plant and animal products, need an export permit, and a few need special permission to leave Australia. We'll check for you.
Every country has its own import rules, labelling and paperwork. We'll also check whether a free trade agreement could lower your buyer's import duty, making your price more competitive.
A three-letter trade term on your quote (called an Incoterm) decides which costs you include in your price and when the goods become your buyer's responsibility. Agree how and when you'll be paid at the same time.
Use packaging built for a long journey. Timber pallets and crates usually need heat treatment or fumigation, and hazardous goods need special handling.
We book space and get your goods to the wharf or airport before the deadline. Our licensed customs brokers lodge your export paperwork with the Australian Border Force.
We send the shipping documents to your buyer or their bank, track your goods to arrival, and keep the records you need for tax.
Every ship and flight has a cut-off time for cargo and paperwork, so we plan backwards from the departure date to make sure your goods make it on board.
We deliver an empty 20 or 40 foot container to your premises, you pack it, and we take it to the wharf. The lowest cost per item for larger orders.
Your goods go to a depot and share a container with other exporters. You only pay for the space you use. Ideal for first exports and smaller orders.
The fastest option, measured in days. Best for perishable, urgent or valuable goods. Costs more than sea.
Door-to-door delivery for samples and small parcels. Goods worth more than A$2,000 still need export paperwork.
Specialist ships carry anything that can be driven aboard, and open-sided containers handle cargo too big for a standard box.
Tell us what you're sending and when it needs to arrive, and we'll recommend the best option.
Exporting is generally tax-friendly:
Australia doesn't charge duty on goods leaving the country.
Goods are generally GST-free if they leave Australia within 60 days of you receiving payment or issuing an invoice, whichever comes first.
Duty and taxes in the destination country are normally your buyer's to pay, unless you agree otherwise.
Your main costs are packing, transport to the wharf or airport, export paperwork and port charges, plus freight and insurance if you include them in your price. We'll give you a full breakdown so you can quote your buyer with confidence.
Get a cost breakdownCall us on 08 8447 1011, email sales@smith-channon.com.au, or download our free First-Time Exporters Guide.