TLC Enterprise

FAQs

Licensed by Australian Border Force (previously Australian Customs and Border Protection Service), a Customs broker acts as an agent for commercial businesses importing goods into Australia. A Customs broker will facilitate the customs clearance of a shipment through Australian Border Force and other government bodies, such as Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) and Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development.

GST is calculated at 10% of the Value of the Taxable Importation (VoTI). This is the sum of the Customs Value (CVAL), any Customs duty payable, the amount paid or payable to transport the goods to their place of consignment in Australia, the insurance cost for that transport and any Wine Equalisation Tax (if applicable).

Import duty is calculated ‘ad valorem’ which means according to value and the value is based on the FOB (Free on Board) or Customs Value (CVAL) of the goods. Duty rates vary, as an example rate can vary from 0% (duty free), to a maximum 10% depending on the tariff classification.

The Duty Drawback Scheme is used to obtain a refund of customs duty paid on imported goods, where the goods have been incorporated in other goods for export; or are exported unused since importation. Australian exporters may lodge a drawback claim on the date the goods were exported or within a four year period from that date.

If you are planning to import sea freight or air freight into Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth (Fremantle) or any other location in Australia, you will need the following documents. To ensure a seamless process, keep the documents ready for the freight forwarding company.

  • Bill of Lading
  • Commercial Invoice
  • Packing List
  • Packing Declaration Form
  • Fumigation Certificate (If applicable)
  • Manufacturing Declaration (if applicable)

At TLC Enterprise, we want to make it a hassle-free experience for our clients and provide comprehensive solutions to assist businesses. We also provide 3PL warehousing in locations like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth so that you can build a robust freight forwarding process.

If you are looking for a logistics partner, you will come across terms like 1PL, 2PL, 3PL, 4PL and 5PL. This classification is used to describe the breadth of the service offered by a logistics provider. An understanding of the difference will help to find out the most appropriate solution for your supply chain.

The term 1PL stands for first-party logistics and implies that only two parties are associated with the transaction. They are the receiver and the company shipping the goods. Every aspect of the transaction is carried out by the supplier or manufacturer, and no part is outsourced.

The term 2PL stands for second-party logistics and defines a situation where the manufacturer or supplier outsources the logistics task to some other service provider. The transportation means can be air, sea, road or rail. Businesses may even outsource storage to save time and money.

In the logistics sector, 3PL is the most common. It refers to third-party logistics where a major part of the supply chain tasks is outsourced. The third-party logistics provider takes up the responsibility of transporting the goods from the supplier/consigner to the buyer or consignee. A wide range of additional services are also handled by the third-party logistics company. The goal of the third-party company is to optimise the supply chain and make it more efficient while enabling the business to lower costs.

In the fourth-party logistics system, there is another party to oversee the entire supply chain. The company takes charge of all the subcontracted logistics providers to ensure a streamlined process. In some instances, even the 3PL can act as a 4PL. Within the 4PL, an integrated electronic interface is often used to manage all the service providers. The tech-driven facilities help in scaling to the needs of the business.

The term fifth-party logistics is a new one and has emerged with the growth of e-businesses. While in the other systems, there is one supply chain and involves the management of the elements of that supply chain, a 5PL is broader. It focuses on the entire supply chain network and deals with new logistic concepts and solutions. It also involves the strategic optimisation of the complete network.

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