Cyclists on a winning track: post Tour de France glow
Australia can expect a surge in bicycle imports after the success of our home grown Orica GreenEDGE team at the Tour de France trial this year. Importers including individuals, retailers, online and wholesale businesses and sporting teams should be on top of the...
New Fees for Importers: Happy New Year…
Importing businesses are being hit with a double whammy (1) the dollar dropping and (2) an increase in the Customs Import Processing Charge [IPC] effective 01 January 2014. Platinum® Freight Management Customs Broker Peter McRae says that if you have a business...
Eight tips to save you thousands when importing by sea freight
With the growth of eBay shops and other online stores, thousands of home-based businesses are becoming significant importers. Here are eight top tips from Peter McRae, a senior lecturer on customs broking, and one of Australia’s leading customs brokers at Platinum®...
The Story of Mr Dang’s Camera Customs Clearance
Or How to Save Time and Frustration When Vu Dang imported a camera from overseas this month, he thought he would receive a letter from Customs saying that it had arrived and how much money he would need to pay. But that is not what happened, and his problems were not...
Import cost risks buying a secondhand earthmoving machine from Asia
Thinking of buying a secondhand earthmoving machine from Asia? Then make sure you factor in all the additional costs, because you could be hit up for $4,000 just for cleaning the machine when it arrives. Increasingly earthmoving companies are buying secondhand...
Import Processing Charge (IPC) Restructure
The Australian Government in the recent budget announced a restructure of the import processing charge (IPC) which is payable by importers. The current charges are: Parcel post $40.20 Air freight $55.20 Sea freight (less than a container load) $70.00 Sea freight (full...
Travellers being hit with huge import costs
The cost of that lovely big stone statue or that ornate teak desk you bought for a song in Indonesia or Thailand can blow out significantly, if you don’t handle the customs clearance of the adventure back here in Australia. People are being hit with charges of $1,000...
eBay buyers are getting caught out by import costs and timing
(or the story of a girl that nearly got away) Many Australians seeking lower prices for high cost items on eBay overseas are being hit by unexpected import costs and time delays. A classic example we saw recently was a chap who ordered an engagement ring from...
Full Container Load Imports Explained
http://youtu.be/b8Og0ozVO4E Do you need to import a full container load of items? Don't know where to start? Platinum® Freight have created a handy info-graphic to help explain the process. It also contains all the links you need to obtain the relevant paperwork for...
Sea Freight LCL clearances explained
http://youtu.be/6v8UXcCvBKU Are you a first time importer? Do you have an item you would like to import into Australia but don't know where to start? The majority of items we clear fall into the Sea Freight LCL (less than a container load) category. This means your...
Air Freight Customs Clearance simplified
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcQDOO7NISc Are you expecting a parcel to arrive in Australia via Airfreight? If so you will require a customs broker to clear the goods through customs and quarantine. If you have never been through this process before then you may...
Importing from China? You could be hit with hundreds of dollars in excessive fees…
With the big rise in individuals and families importing their own goods, especially from China, there has also been a big rise in newbie importers being shocked at unexpected import and warehousing costs. Platinum® Freight’s customs broker Peter McRae says importing...