Has anyone tried buying furniture from tmall ? Its like a Chinese amazon where you can buy directly from manufacturers. I was considering getting some designer replica chairs and bathroom fittings. Will there be any quarantine issues or import tax on these type of purchases ?
Thanks
Kev go westie
As per above, if its timber, you're gonna have a bad time with Customs. The requirement is that it needs to be 50% treated, if solid timber. Not sure on the chipboard stuff, as that would be a nightmare for bio-security inspections.
If its metal, then you'll be fine.
If TMALL sends it directly to Aus, then you won't need freight forwarder fees.
If your total purchase (inc. shipping costs) is <$1000, no GST is payable.
If its not timber, and doesn't require fumigation etc., there is no customs clearance cost.
If the delivery costs are reasonable, it might be worth just paying the 10% GST, if it still works out cheaper than in Aus.
you will get hit with quite significant customs fees.
our family freinds came back from Bali 2 years ago. and brought a little timber ornament… the missus kept wiping the table and said it kept leaving a mess.. this was 18 months of wiping the table down every week and not telling me..
One day i moved it, saw the wood shavings, turns out it was a bug from Bali in the timber.. it was only around 5mm long, but had somehow survived off the wood only. it soon died a quick and painful death.
Thanks everyone for the reply, so in conclusion if i dont import any wooden stuff I should be fine right ? would there be issues with the wooden palet or boxes that were used for shipping?
Cheers
Short answer yes, there is an issue with anything which is of wooden, biological or vegetable origin
Doesn't really matter if it is packaging or the actual product
The whole point is not getting overseas termites into our soil as we still don't have -
that deadly termites that may kill our flora and fauna
Anything with timber/natural product/sand/vegetation will require treatment and also a certificate of fumigation (depending on what it is).
You will also need to pay for the freight forwarder fees, GST, customs clearance, etc.
If you are importing stuff for your own personal use, it is sometimes not economical to do so…
My 2 cents worth.