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Exporting to Australia — biosecurity, ECTA preference and FSANZ

Last reviewed 2026-10 · 4 sections

Two facts dominate Australian market entry: the strictest biosecurity regime at any border, and a free-trade agreement with India. One decides whether the goods may enter at all; the other decides what they cost if they do.

Biosecurity comes first

  • Australia's agriculture department sets import conditions for plant, animal and food products, published in BICON. Check the conditions for your product before you contract — treatment requirements can change the cost and the lead time materially.
  • Many goods require prescribed treatment (for example fumigation) and evidence of it. Treatment after arrival is slower, dearer and sometimes not permitted.
  • Wood packaging must meet the international phytosanitary standard (ISPM 15). It is mandatory nearly everywhere, but Australia enforces it strictly — non-compliant packing can be refused or treated at your cost.
  • Even small quantities of plant or animal material in a shipment — a sample, a gift, a wooden promotional item — can trigger biosecurity action.

ECTA: the preference is real, the proof is not automatic

The Australia–India economic cooperation and trade agreement has been in force since December 2022 and gives preferential treatment on many goods. The concession applies to the specific tariff line and requires a certificate of origin meeting the agreement's rules of origin.

Two checks before you promise a landed price: that your tariff line is actually in the concession schedule, and that your goods satisfy the origin rule. A preference claim that is later disallowed is a debt for the importer, not a saving for you.

Food, consumer goods and tax

  • FSANZ sets the Food Standards Code: composition, additives, labelling and health claims. Imported food is subject to inspection under a risk-based programme.
  • Consumer product safety standards apply to a range of goods, and electrical products must meet compliance requirements.
  • GST applies to imports, and there is a seller-collection regime for low-value imported goods. If you sell directly to Australian consumers, the obligation may fall on you rather than the buyer — check the current thresholds and rules.

Documents and reading the market

  • Commercial invoice, packing list, transport document, certificate of origin for an ECTA claim, treatment and phytosanitary certificates, ISPM 15 marking on wood packaging.
  • Australia is a comparatively transparent market, but it is small in population and high in logistics cost — read import value alongside distance and freight, not on its own.

Use the tools

Sources & further reading

DAFF — biosecurity & BICON FSANZ — Food Standards Code Australian Border Force

These guides summarise public material from the bodies named above. They are general information, not advice on a specific shipment, and they are not a substitute for a ruling from your customs authority or a qualified customs broker / consultant.

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