Efficient by Design: Customs Clearance that beats the deadlines.
In the competitive world of high fashion, timing is everything. That's why when a world renowned designer arrived into Australia with couture in their possession to show at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week they called on the services of Platinum® Freight Management. The...
Overcoming challenges importing from China
The key steps to ensure a profitable business importing from China are:
Identifying your local market before you place a Chinese order;
Sourcing a range of potential suppliers;
Ensuring your supplier is reputable;
Organising your freight forwarder / postal service;
Engaging a customs broker;
Organising freight pickup from port;
Checking the quality of the goods
Delivering to your market.
It’s Not the duty of Customs to tell you you’re paying too much Customs duty
As recently reported in this story in the Australian (Businessman-alan-thiess-loses-out-on-duty-gst-paid-to-import-yacht), it’s very important to make sure that you’re not overpaying customs duty, and don’t think for a minute that Customs will tell you if you are.
How to avoid an importing horror story
Importing goods into Australia can become an expensive nightmare for those who try to manage it themselves. It’s not uncommon for a novice to experience delays, damaged and missing goods, or extra charges, so it pays to understand the potential importing pitfalls in order to make the right choices. Every country has different importing/exporting regulations, therefore it makes sense to employ the services of an experienced freight management company. Here are some real life importing horror stories.
Importing Aircraft Parts into Australia
Private and commercial aircraft ownership rates in Australia are among the highest in the world. Australia is a huge continent with vast distances between major cities and regional centres. The nature of the Australian landscape, combined with our inherent love of...
Productivity Commission recommendations may open doors to secondhand car imports
With the momentous recent news of the end of Australian vehicle manufacturing as we know it, the Federal Government has now asked the Productivity Commission to review import regulations on cars, and preliminary recommendations of the Commission suggest that allowing...
HSBC earmarks $250 million for Australian SMEs doing business overseas, ANZ follows suit
The Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) has recently announced that it is setting aside $250 million to lend to small and medium enterprises in Australia to help them expand their business overseas. The initiative coincides with a plan to increase its retail...
Doing business with China set to get easier
The Chinese government has indicated that it is keen to promote business ties between China and Australia – a good omen if you are either currently importing from China or considering it. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has recently said that China is keen to speed up an...
Snakes on a Plane!
It's not just living snakes you need to worry about. It's dead ones too, or at least their skins, if you are importing products into Australia that contain these, which would include some luxury fashion items. Many of the most desirable fashion accessories – handbags,...
Rest Easy: Import a Sleep Apnoea Machine
Approximately 25 per cent of men and 10 per cent of women suffer from disturbed sleep caused by breathing difficulties. As we age the numbers increase, with one in three older men suffering from sleep apnoea. In the 1970's, Colin Sullivan, an Australian physician...
Are you a young entrepreneur needing to import goods into Australia? Here’s how to get a kickstart
Platinum® Freight has launched a new program – the Young Entrepreneurs Program – which provides free customs brokering services for the first three shipments to entrepreneurs aged under 25 who are importing goods for their business.
When to get your Customs Broker involved in your import business
The answer is: sooner than you think. People get involved in importing either because they feel that they can get something cheaper from overseas for their personal use or because they want to supplement their income or want to be full time self-employed doing what...