How to Import to Australia - Start Your Importing Business Now!

So you would like to find out how to import to Australia? That's great to hear! Importing is one of the most lucrative trade based businesses you can get into.

If you want to gain a competitive advantage over your competition, importing is without doubt the way to go. Through not having to buy through a local wholesaler (who is importing the products themselves, then adding their mark up) you’ll dramatically improve your profit margins plus obtain access to a much bigger range of products overseas.

Some other bonuses are:

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

2. Obtaining a higher quality product. For example, the finest leather fashion shoes come from Europe, while Italy makes first quality leather handbags.

The more you learn, the more you’ll discover that importing is actually a rather easy process. Don’t let yourself be put off by what might appear like an incredibly complicated task - buying goods from several thousand kilometres away. With just a little bit of education, anyone can do it!

How to Import to Australia

Step #1 - Identify Your Market

Market research is a fundamental step to take before opening any small business - online or offline. You need to find out if sufficient people really want to purchase your item in the first place and also check to see how much competition you have. Is the market already saturated or not?

Step #2 - Find Your 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 to begin with to make sure they truly are who they say! The majority of overseas businesses are genuine, but unfortunately there are a few scammers there too.

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

The majority of products can just be imported to Australia without any special permissions. But, a few products like tobacco & alcohol do need express permission to bring in so make sure you verify with Australian Customs beforehand to make sure your goods are alright.

Step #4 - Organise Freight

The 4 freight methods you can choose from are sea freight, air freight, the postal system or worldwide courier. There are pros and cons for each method so it really just boils down to whatever will work best for your particular shipment. A reputable global freight company should be able to advise you on what is the most cost efficient freight option for your goods.

Step #5 - Make Payment

When your supplier has given you an invoice for your purchase, organise to make payment using a secure payment method as soon as possible.

Step #6 - Customs Clearance

As soon as your goods arrive in Australia, Customs will require you to fill in an import declaration form so they can clear your products. There’ll also be some stamp duty and taxes to pay before they’ll discharge your goods to you.

Step #7 - Start Selling Your Goods & Enjoying the Profits!

All it takes is a bit of basic planning & thought to launch your own profitable importing business. Anyone can start importing right now - you don’t need to be a large business with a big bank balance - I started my importing business with less than $500 & you can too!

Discover everything about how to import to Australia in Importing to Australia Simplified. It's your complete, step-by-step guide to starting your own, successful importing business!