Shipping from China to Australia
A long route with an extra variable most corridors do not have: biosecurity inspection, which can hold parcels containing organic material for days.
How long it takes
| Standard shipping | 12–30 days on standard shipping |
| Express courier | 4–8 days by DHL, FedEx or UPS |
Door-to-door including customs. The gap between the two rows is mostly flight frequency and clearance priority, not distance.
Customs and taxes
GST applies from the first dollar; duty above AUD $1,000
GST is generally collected by the marketplace at checkout for consignments under AUD $1,000.
Who carries it
- Cainiao
LP + 14 to 16 digits
- China Post
Two letters + 9 digits + CN
- Australia Post
Alphanumeric, 12 to 14 characters, or UPU format ending in AU
- NZ Post
Two letters + 9 digits + NZ, or 13 alphanumeric characters
- SF Express
12 to 15 digits, often prefixed SF
What to expect on this route
- Biosecurity screening is separate from customs and applies to wooden items, seeds, food and anything containing plant or animal material.
- A parcel held for biosecurity may show no status change at all for several days.