Customs duty from Australia to China: Import Duty Guide

Key Takeaways

• The China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA), in force since December 2015, gives 0% duty on qualifying originating goods, with full tariff phase-in continuing through January 2029 for the remaining covered lines.
• Between roughly 2020 and 2023, China imposed informal trade barriers on Australian barley, wine, coal, timber, and lobster - separate from ChAFTA itself, but a major practical disruption worth over US$12 billion at their peak.
• These barriers were fully resolved by December 2024, when the last holdout (live rock lobster) was lifted following a leaders’ meeting between Australia and China - ChAFTA now operates normally.
• China’s imports from Australia reached roughly $140.8 billion in 2024, heavily concentrated in resources - iron ore alone was worth $67 billion in 2025, over 55% of Australia’s total exports to China by value.
• Australia and Oceania together account for roughly 6.1% of China’s total imports.

Australia-China Trade at a Glance

China’s imports from Australia reached roughly $140.8 billion in 2024 (UN Comtrade). The relationship is heavily concentrated in raw materials rather than manufactured or consumer goods: iron ore alone was worth $67.0 billion in 2025, more than 55% of Australia’s total exports to China by value, with coal adding a further estimated $12.5 billion.

Is There a Trade Deal Between Australia and China?

Yes - the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA), in force since December 2015, gives 0% duty on the large majority of qualifying Australian goods, with the remaining tariff lines continuing to phase down through January 2029. Separately from ChAFTA itself, China imposed a series of informal trade barriers on specific Australian goods between roughly 2020 and 2023 - affecting barley, wine, coal, timber, and lobster, worth more than US$12 billion in trade at their peak. These have since been fully resolved: coal, timber, and barley restrictions were lifted in 2023, wine by March 2024, and the last holdout, live rock lobster, in December 2024 following a leaders’ meeting between the two countries (France24; DFAT ChAFTA fact sheets). As of August 2026, ChAFTA operates normally with no known remaining informal barriers.

How Much Will You Pay Importing from Australia to China?

For genuinely Australian-originating goods meeting ChAFTA’s rules of origin, customs duty is 0% for the large majority of tariff lines, with a small remaining share still phasing down through January 2029. Standard China-side mechanics still apply to everything else: orders under the postal regime pay a bundled 13/20/50% tax on declared goods value (waived if the tax owed is RMB 50 or less, capped at RMB 2,000 per shipment), while CBEC-qualifying orders pay 0% duty plus VAT and consumption tax at 70% of the standard rate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ChAFTA still fully in force?

Yes - it’s been continuously in force since 2015, with the earlier 2020-2023 informal trade barriers on specific goods now fully resolved as of December 2024. Normal ChAFTA terms apply as of this writing.

What were the informal trade barriers about?

Between roughly 2020 and 2023, China restricted imports of specific Australian goods - barley, wine, coal, timber, and lobster - through measures separate from ChAFTA itself. All were lifted in stages, with the last (lobster) resolved in December 2024.

How big is Australia-China trade?

China’s imports from Australia reached roughly $140.8 billion in 2024, with iron ore alone accounting for over 55% of Australia’s exports to China by value - a relationship dominated by raw materials rather than consumer goods.

Is Australia mainly a source of consumer goods for China?

No - the trade relationship is heavily weighted toward resources like iron ore, coal, and other raw materials, alongside agricultural products like barley, wine, and beef, rather than manufactured consumer goods.