Step by Step Guide by Australian Trade & Shipping

 

This is for Less than a Container Load (LCL) or Share a Container

Prior to your ship arriving at the Port of Discharge, if you are working with us, you will receive an email from us containing a disbursement invoice advising ships E.T.A (estimated time of arrival), wharf operator, and name of the bond store where goods will be made available.

The disbursement invoice will have various amounts of money for you to pay here at the port of discharge:

1/ The Terminal Handling charge, Port services, Infrastructure, Terminal and Carrier Security
2/ The Shipping and Customs Delivery order.

You can make that payment at the counter of the local bank branch or go on-line using internet banking. We don't accept cheques or credit or debit cards or paypal.

Once monies are acknowledged as cleared funds by our bank, we will begin the cascade of payments to secure the Delivery Order, this Delivery Order will be sent to the address nominated as the Consignee and or Notify Party on the waybill or bill of lading.

Commercial Cargo for Less than a Container Load (LCL)

The Notify Party is acknowledged in the shipping industry as the Customs Broker who is doing the Customs and Quarantine Clearance on your behalf, so that would be us.

The Customs Broker will ask the Buyer (Importer) who is also called the Consignee on the waybill also known as a bill of lading for the following documents, Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Packing Declaration, Brand New or Unused Declaration, Fumigation Certificate, any Free Trade Certificate of Origins, Waybill or Telex Release Bill of Lading and any Import Permits if applicable. Yes, your overseas suppliers can scan all their original documents in colour and email them to us.

For first time importers into Australia, you will be required to get registered with Australian Customs. This is called the Importers Owners Code and will remain with the legal entity that has been nominated by you as the Australian Importer. Click here to Register as Australian Importer

A formal entry will be lodged with Australian Customs in their ICS system using information taken from the documentation that you have supplied. Australian Customs will set the exchange rate for the day and a Customs Declaration will be issued outlining Import Duty (if applicable) and Import GST and ICS fees.

We will send you a disbursement invoice for Customs Duty (if applicable) and Customs GST and you make that payment directly into our account, perference is using on-line internet banking with payment receipt sent through via email. Once received as cleared funds, monies are in turned paid directly into the Australian Customs account using the ICS system to become formally cleared by Australian Customs

Once this ocurs we can direct our attention to Australian Quarantine Department and formally lodge documents and pay their fees to secure a Quarantine Direction for unpack and inspect or they may clear on sight of correct documents and issue Final Release.

Meanwhile the container has been moved from the container terminal (wharf) to a Customs and Quarantined approved bond store for unpack. Once the bond store issues their out turn report which formally acknowledges container is unpacked. Its common practice throughout Australia that your cargo will be given the first three (3) business days to do the Customs and Quarantine clearance and inspections. After Three (3) days if the cargo has not left the bond store you will be charged excessive bond storage fees.

If the Quarantine officer at the inspection deems that your goods need to be steam cleaned or fumigated or irradiated or destroyed or repacked out of fruit and vegie boxes into clean cardboard cartons then the bond store will invariable stop the clock untill the work is carried out to the satisfaction of the Quarantine Officers re-inspection and then the bond store will reset the clock to give you time to get down and pick up your goods. Australian bond stores traditionally operate Monday to Friday 6 am to 2 pm or 7 am to 3 pm however there is one or two bond stores in the Sydney market that operate 24 hours / 5 days and till Noon on Saturday. so it will pay to check what the bond store hours are in your city.

We recommend for LCL (less than a container load) that the importer picks up their cargo from the Australian bond store in order to save the bond storage fees.

Personal Effects and Household Goods Shippers for Share a Container Cargo

After paying the local landing charges and receiving the Delivery Order.

Your priority is head to the local Australian Customs and Quarantine Department in your City.

You take the Delivery Order, Packing List, Your Passport obtain and fill in the Australian Customs Unaccompanied Baggage Statement.

Australian Customs will take three (3) working days to screen your documents, to see if you have any goods that are subject to Import Duty and Import GST and any Import Permits (if applicable) and check to see if you have current visa if Non-Australian resident.

Australia Customs will activate their ICS system and report that your goods are now Customs Cleared, so now you can go off to Australian Quarantine, lodge your documents and pay their fees and make appointment for inspection in conjunction with the Bond Store where your goods will be unpacked and made available for inspection.

Bond stores who have a Quarantine Officer on site will perform the physical inspection that is done to reduce the number of non-essential people on site to Bond Store Staff, Customs and Quarantine Officers, Federal Police, transport drivers will remain with their vehicles this methodology has reduce theft and pillage.

As the owner of the goods you can delegate the pick up to a transport company but they must have the Delivery Order or you can bring your appropriate vehicle ie, ute, or car with trailer or light weight truck to the Bond Store, the name of the Bond Store is shown on the Delivery Order. You need to be wearing covered footwear and a high viz vest and have no animals in your vehicle as it is a Quarantine Bond Store. It would be appropriate that you have a supervising adult in the vehicle if you are bringing children, children need to remain inside the vehicle due to the heavy machinery operating at these Bond Stores.

Now whether its your or the transport driver, you have to physically go to the Receival and Delivery Office (also known as R&D Office) at the Bond Store and hand it over to the Delivery Clerk they will check the Customs ICS system and can see that its been formally Customs and Quarantine Cleared and whether any storage is owning. The Delivery Clerk will give you instructions where to position your vehicle for loading.

If you have not picked up cargo within 3 days of cargoes availability then a debit or credit card or take cash because you will be required to pay the Bond Store their Storage Charges before you can take delivery.

Please feel free to contact us at Australia Trade & Shipping.
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I wish a safe and prosperous journey for you and your loved ones.