How do you plan to ship from China to Australia?

Among Australia’s most important trading partners, China is widely recognized. China is the country from which Australia imports almost 30% of its produced commodities. If your organization is considering purchasing products from China, don’t forget to consider how they will get to Australia.

However, importing your goods from China is not easy, particularly during the peak shipping season, not to mention the Chinese New Year festival celebration. This makes it crucial that you start planning your 2024 shipping year well.

Here is a quick reference guide of what to consider when planning to ship from China to Australia:

1. Book your shipments early

After you have gathered all the official documents needed for shipping, the supplier will organize an export shipment.

It is imperative to book your freight well in advance, primarily during the holiday seasons mentioned above. This will increase your chances of getting a slot for your container on a ship and your products delivered on time.

2. Include a ‘buffer’ for when things will take longer

One can only agree that one should prepare for the worst and expect the best, which perfectly fits the shipping industry. This is why planning for the worst is essential, especially when shipping. That way, you can, in a much better way, avoid disappointment.

When transporting merchandise by sea from China, allow an additional week, either at the beginning or end of your desired timeframe. This will give you a so-called ‘time gap,’ or what you can refer to as a ‘buffer,’ of roughly two weeks. This way, nothing like bad weather, congestion, or strike actions by port workers would severely disrupt your shipment.

 When shipping from China to Australia using air freight, consider using an extra five days of buffer time. As may be expected, air freight takes a much shorter time than ocean freight. Adding a five-day fallback buffer should increase the probability of your goods arriving on time. As you would understand, aircraft do not have the same issues as ships.

3. Cover yourself legally

Prolongations may result in legal complexities. This is especially the case where delay deprives you of a lot of value, for example, valuable goods, or Consequential Losses (for instance, the profit you would have made had your goods arrived on time). Another way to minimize your risk of experiencing delays while in business is to qualify your sale or purchase with delay options such as ‘sale subject to delay’ or ‘purchase subject to availability of goods.’ This may be useful if you experience some form of holdup.

It is always advisable to seek the services of a legal expert when preparing to make a sale contract, when entering into a contract or agreement to sell, or when making a move due to a shipping delay.

To avoid such situations, we suggest you always take Marine insurance to safeguard your cargo in case of loss or damage. However, it’s essential to know that Marine Insurance does not cover any expenses that may arise from a delay in shipping by your business. Customers can look forward to it if they wait long, which is something to consider when making promises.

4. Choose airway shipping for time-sensitive goods

Whether you need an urgent delivery to Australia of a raw material imported from China or any other item, air freight is the best option. It may cost more, but it is always faster than transporting consignments on an ocean carrier.

You should also observe if there is a direct flight from China to Australia. You do not wish your aircraft to ‘transit’ through another country on its way to the destination and, therefore, any chance of a delay, however slight.

 5. Monitor your shipments from China

Imported cargo from China, or any country, for that matter, should always be followed in real-time. In that way, you will be able to locate your shipment on the map and know if there are any forms of delay in the shipment. That will enable you to make any adjustments within your business here onshore. Find out from your freight forwarder suppliers whether or not they are using a tracking system on your shipments!

Foresmart has been in this business for many years, providing Australians with reliable import services to get their goods from China safely and on time. For any additional help in your shipping year planning, do not hesitate to contact any of our consultants.