To import from India to Australia, check the import conditions for your product first, find and verify an Indian manufacturer, test samples, ship with correct packaging and documents, and lodge an import declaration through a customs broker. Australia's biosecurity rules are the step that most often surprises first-time importers.
This is general guidance as of October 2026. The Australian Government's import conditions database and your licensed customs broker have the final word.
Step 1: Check what your product needs
Look the product up in the Australian Government's import conditions database. It states whether a permit, treatment or certificate is needed. Food, plant products, wood, bamboo, cane and some animal-derived goods have conditions; many manufactured goods do not, but may have safety or labelling standards. Do this before you ask for a quote.
Step 2: Register and appoint a broker
Importers generally need an Australian Business Number to lodge declarations, and most use a licensed customs broker to do it. Ask the broker to classify your product, confirm duty and GST treatment and advise on documents. Choosing one is covered in choosing a freight forwarder for imports from India.
Step 3: Find and verify the supplier
Most problems come from dealing with a trader who presents as a factory, so confirm that your supplier makes what you buy. How to tell a trader from a manufacturer shows how. Then audit the plant, as described in what a factory audit report should contain.
Step 4: Samples, testing and terms
Have a sealed sample tested against your specification, then agree shipping terms. For a first import, the best incoterm for a first-time importer is a good guide. Pay the factory directly, in stages, and keep inspection before final payment.
Step 5: Use the trade agreement correctly
Australian government material says imports from India have entered duty free under ECTA since 1 January 2026. To claim it, you generally need proof of origin from the exporter, and goods must meet the rules. Do not assume; ask your broker. Also see importing Indian tiles into Australia as an example product.
Step 6: Pack for biosecurity and ship
Use treated wood packaging or none, keep containers clean, and have the factory pack without soil or plant matter. Ask for photos at loading. Documents your broker will usually need include the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and any required certificates; the document pack your broker will ask for is a checklist.
Common mistakes on Indian imports into Australia
The first is ordering wooden or plant-based goods without checking the conditions. The second is accepting a supplier's own certificate for a regulated product, when a government or accredited certificate is needed. The third is shipping untested goods and finding out about a labelling or safety issue in Australia, when the fix costs more.
The fourth is poor packing. Cartons that crush, or pallets that are untreated, turn a good order into a claim. Ask for a packing specification, and check it at loading.
A realistic timeline for a first order
Allow time for checking conditions and getting broker advice, then for supplier search, audit and sampling. Production, inspection and loading follow, then sea freight and clearance. Do not promise your own customers a date until the sample is approved and the factory has confirmed a production plan in writing.
What to send a supplier or agent first
Send your specification, quantity, the import conditions you found, packaging requirements and delivery date. State that you will inspect and test before final payment. Factories that welcome this are usually the ones worth working with.
What to keep for your records
Keep the commercial invoice, packing list, certificates, test reports and inspection report for each shipment. If the border authority or your broker asks a question months later, a complete file answers it quickly.
Where an agent fits
An agent can run steps 3 to 6 on the Indian side: shortlisting verified factories, drawing samples, supervising production and checking the loading. They do not replace your broker. For more on choosing one, read sourcing agent in India for Australian importers. We work across India and arrange audits and inspections where the supplier is. You pay the factory directly, and we take nothing from factories. To start, book a free sourcing review.