A sourcing agent in India for Australian importers needs to understand two things that set Australia apart: biosecurity controls on food, wood and plant material, and the Australia-India trade agreement (ECTA) that has progressively cut tariffs. The agent finds and checks factories; you and your broker handle the Australian declaration.
For the step-by-step import process, read how to import from India to Australia. This article is about choosing and instructing an agent.
Biosecurity shapes how goods are made and packed
Australia's biosecurity system checks imported goods for pests and disease. For you, that means wood packaging such as pallets and crates needs to meet the international standard for treated wood, and certain goods can be held for inspection, treatment or return. Food and plant products can face import conditions that must be met before shipping. Check conditions for your product on the Australian Government's import conditions database, and ask your broker.
So a good agent will check pallets, packing materials and cartons at loading, not just the goods. Clean containers matter too. Ask how loading supervision covers this; see what loading supervision is and what the inspector checks.
The trade agreement: helpful, but proof still matters
Australian government material says that, from 1 January 2026, all Australian imports from India enter duty free under ECTA. Even so, the claim requires origin documentation, and some rules and thresholds apply, so ask your broker to confirm how it applies to your goods. Your agent should help the factory prepare the origin certificate and keep the evidence. See also importing Indian tiles into Australia.
Labelling and product rules
Australia has its own rules for country-of-origin food labelling, textile labelling, and product safety standards for certain goods. Confirm each with the relevant regulator. See labelling rules for textiles in Canada and Australia and importing spices and groceries to Australia and New Zealand.
Questions to ask the agent
- Have you prepared goods for Australian biosecurity before, and how do you check pallets and packing?
- Can the factory issue the ECTA origin proof, and do you check the records behind it?
- How do you handle the time difference? Australian buyers often want mid-morning India calls.
- Do you pay or receive anything from the factory?
- Do you offer inspection at the factory and at loading, with photos?
A worked example
An Australian homewares importer buys decorative wooden items with metal fittings. The agent checks the wood is treated and documented as required, asks for the packing to use compliant timber, and has the container cleaned and inspected before loading. They gather the origin certificate the factory can issue under the trade agreement.
Because the packaging and documents were checked at the factory, the cargo meets fewer problems at the Australian border. A failure there can mean treatment, delays or return of goods, all at your cost.
Mistakes Australian importers make
One mistake is assuming duty-free means paperwork-free. Another is ignoring the pallet and carton material until a container is held. A third is overlooking that food and plant-based goods may have import conditions that must be satisfied before the ship leaves India. Ask your broker to check them before you pay a deposit.
Contract and timing points
Agree in the contract who arranges treatment or replacement packaging if a container fails an Australian check, and who pays. Allow extra time for the first shipment of a new product in case a permit or condition is needed. Ask the agent to keep photographs of the container interior and the pallets, since they are useful evidence if the border authority raises a question.
What to send an agent first
Send your specification, your Australian broker's note on import conditions for the product, target volumes and any packaging rules. If wood is involved, say so up front, so the factory plans treated packaging from the start rather than at the last minute.
How we work
We work across India and arrange audits and inspections where the supplier is. We find and audit manufacturers, shortlist five to ten real ones, check samples and documents, have lots tested, and supervise production and loading, including a look at packing and pallets. You pay the factory directly, and we take nothing from factories. Our fee is one written amount agreed in advance. To talk through your product, book a free sourcing review.