How to import servers to Australia: GST, ChAFTA and RCM
Australia is an easy import for servers: the China–Australia FTA takes duty to zero on most IT hardware, so the main lines are 10% GST and RCM compliance. Here is the picture and the route from Hangzhou to Sydney or Melbourne.
GST, duty and compliance
Under the China–Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) most IT hardware enters at 0% duty with a valid certificate of origin. You pay 10% GST on the customs value plus freight and insurance, which GST-registered businesses claim back.
Electrical and electronic goods need to meet the Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM) for electrical safety and EMC, with the supplier registered on the national database. Wooden packaging must meet ISPM15 for biosecurity.
- Duty: 0% on most IT hardware under ChAFTA (with certificate of origin).
- GST: 10%, reclaimable by GST-registered businesses.
- RCM electrical/EMC compliance; ISPM15-compliant packaging.
Delivery and clearance
We ship every server by air. Your forwarder flies the shipment to Australia and delivers it to your site, and door-to-door delivery takes 1–2 weeks.
Clearance goes through the Australian Border Force and the Department of Agriculture for biosecurity. An importer needs an ABN; your forwarder files the declaration, presents the ChAFTA certificate of origin, and settles GST on DAP/DDP terms.
The import flow, step by step
We sell EXW Hangzhou. For first-time importers we help appoint a forwarder who books the air freight, provides the ChAFTA certificate of origin, exports from China, clears customs and biosecurity, and delivers to Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane.
You see the landed cost, including GST, before anything ships.
- Send your spec. We reply within 1 hour during business hours (Mon–Fri 09:00–19:00 Beijing time, UTC+8) with an EXW Hangzhou quote.
- We assemble, burn-in 24–72 h, issue export docs and the ChAFTA certificate of origin.
- Forwarder flies the shipment to Australia, clears ABF + biosecurity, delivers DAP/DDP.
- 1-year warranty with advance-replacement RMA.
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay duty importing servers to Australia?
Most IT hardware enters at 0% duty under the China–Australia FTA with a valid certificate of origin, which we provide. You pay 10% GST on the customs value, reclaimable if you are GST-registered.
What is RCM and do servers need it?
The Regulatory Compliance Mark covers electrical safety and EMC for electronic goods sold in Australia, with the supplier registered on the national database. We confirm the compliance position for your build.
How long does shipping from China to Australia take?
We ship every server by air, and the forwarder delivers door to door in 1–2 weeks. Your forwarder handles customs and biosecurity clearance.
Related
Specs and ships enterprise and GPU servers from our Hangzhou warehouse. These guides come from real orders and burn-in benches, not spec sheets.
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