FAQs

Yes! We have dedicated staff in sales, customs, transport and operations and finance to help ensure we can provide you with a fully integrated service looking after all your requirements, with the benefit of being a relatively small, close-knit team.

If you are importing goods into Australia and need help with working through the complex rules and regulations of customs clearance, then a customs broker is the specialist that you require to ensure your goods are ‘cleared’ for entry into Australia.

Customs brokers must be licenced by the National Customs Brokers Licensing Advisory Committee (NCBLAC) based on their qualifications as well as demonstrated experience. Transvoras’s team of licenced customs brokers deal directly with the relevant government, port and airport authorities to help importers by:

• Completing and submitting the correct documentation – such as Import Declarations – for Australian Border Force (formerly Australian Customs Service) and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (formerly Australian Quarantine & Inspection Service);
• Calculating duties and taxes payable on your import;
• Ensuring your goods are classified correctly as required under the Customs Tariff Act 1995;
• Providing tariff advice for your goods and where applicable utilising Australia’s free trade agreements;
• Conducting customs compliance audits of your import and export operations to identify duty overpayments and process customs refund applications;

Transvoras’s systems are electronically linked to both Australian Border Force and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to instantly access duty rates, duty concessions and biosecurity requirements on behalf of our clients. This combined with our clearance expertise ensures our clearance service is of the highest level, minimising customs clearance and quarantine delays.

Appointing a local freight forwarder to look after your import and export requirements helps take the hassle and worry out of shipping.

A freight forwarder can organise for your import shipment to be picked up directly from your supplier and delivered to your door, looking after all the logistics and documentation requirements on your behalf.

When you contact Transvoras Logistics for a quote for your import shipment, you will receive a price to pick up your goods from your supplier (these are typically called ex. works charges), the ocean or air freight to get it to Australia, the local port charges which are payable at the local sea or airport, customs clearance charges, and finally, delivery charges to your door, if required. By receiving a quote for all charges upfront, you have peace of mind in knowing what to expect from a financial perspective, prior to shipping your goods. *

You also have the convenience of greater visibility of your shipments. Regular reports can be sent to you, notifying of the latest ETA of your shipments, and if you ever have any queries or concerns, you have a team of local experts at your disposal, ready to help.

If you are an exporter, then we can assist in the same way, however exporting your goods from your door, directly to your end client, wherever in the world they may be. We also organise cross-trade shipments (also known as triangle shipments) assisting our many clients to distribute goods between countries, independent of which country your business is located in, for example if your supplier is in the U.K., your end customer is located in Japan and your business in Australia.

*Quotes are issued based on information provided to Transvoras Logistics at the time of quoting. If the volume of your shipment increases or decreases, then the price you pay will increase or decrease accordingly. If your goods are placed on a Border Hold or inspected by Australian Border Force or the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, additional charges may apply. Freight is quoted in foreign currency, so the Australian dollar amount you pay will be based on the exchange rate at the time of invoicing. Standard delivery prices assume you have a forklift onsite. If you do not have a forklift onsite, let us know and we shall provide you with a quote for a tail lifter truck to assist in unloading your larger shipments. Quotes exclude duties and taxes. These will be calculated once your shipping documents are received and will be billed to you at cost as a disbursement. Disbursements are required to be paid upon receipt of our tax invoice.

Transvoras Logistics offers a credit facility to its clients who have regular, ongoing shipments with us. Credit is only issued subject to approval. Clients who do not have a credit account need to arrange payment in full, prior to delivery.

The General Rate of Duty is estimated at 5% of FOB Value of goods (value converted to AUD at the exchange rate determined by Australian Border Force). Customs GST is estimated at 10% of Cost of Goods, Insurance, Freight + any Duty Paid. This amount may be deferred by Australian Companies who have registered deferral with the Australian Taxation Office. Importers must lodge monthly BAS statements electronically on a monthly basis, to apply please contact Australian Taxation Office direct on https://www.ato.gov.au/business/business-activity-statements-(BAS)/

There are a variety of incoterms which can be used for each shipment. Each has its benefits depending on your relationship with your supplier or client. You can refer to our Guide to Incoterms fact sheet, or if you prefer, Email us on enquiry@Transvoras.com to discuss what option might be best for you.

All sea freight shipments entering Australia require the following documents to enable a Customs Declaration to be completed:

• Bill of Lading
• Commercial Invoice
• Packing List
• Packing Declaration
• Certificate of Origin (if claiming duty concessions)

All air freight shipments entering Australia require:

• Air Waybill
• Commercial Invoice

Your supplier should make these documents available to you once your shipment has departed, and you have paid for your goods.

All motor vehicles imported to Australia require an approval to import the vehicle from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. Please read further on Importing a road vehicle into Australia | Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts. You will also find a handy 8-step process on importing a vehicle.

Vehicles should not be shipped until such time that an Import Approval has been granted. All imported vehicles with Air-Conditioning Gas present must be imported under Pre-charge Equipment License (please check for correctness) or otherwise removed prior to export.

On importation all vehicles are inspected at the Terminal. Cars are then moved to a steam cleaning Facility for cleaning and once released will be transported to a nominated compliance facility.

Transvoras Logistics has expertise in arranging this process on your behalf and for further information regarding importation of vehicles please contact our office on enquiry@Transvoras.com.

There are many different types of containers High Cube, Open Tops, Flat Racks etc which goods can be packed in/on and shipped on containerized vessels. Goods which exceed standard container dimensions are termed Out of Gauge (OOG), rates for OOG Cargo will be determined by the amount the cargo exceeds standard dimensions and must be quoted on case by case scenario.

Please contact Transvoras for a quote on any standard or OOG Cargo whether sea or Air & please check our document page for Container types & sizes.

In the world of sea freight, an FCL (Full Container Load) shipment is used when a shipper or importer pays for the cost of the entire container and uses it exclusively for a single shipment, even if the container is not completely filled with cargo. As they are not shared, FCL shipments can be faster as the FCL container can be delivered directly to your location of choice at destination for you to unload the container yourself.

On the other hand, an LCL (Less-than-Container-Load) shipment means different shippers share the containers and only need to pay for the space used. While FCL may be a cheaper option because the cost of unit per freight is higher with LCL, and importing fees are paid per shipment, LCL is becoming increasingly preferential for smaller shipments due to the rise in e-commerce and where lower warehousing/inventory costs are desired.

This will depend on if you have imported a full container (FCL) or a portion of a shared container (LCL).

If you have an FCL shipment, the Terminal usually allows you 3 days to collect your container, usually starting from the day after the vessel arrives. However, if your container is on a Border Hold, (held by Australian Border Force for screening), you won’t be able to collect your container until the Australian Border Force have completed their screening. Additional charges like wharf storage and container detention charges may apply, which will be at the expense of the importer.

If you have an LCL shipment, your freight will be available for collection or delivery approximately 7 – 10 business days after arrival into the port. This is because the container needs to be collected from the wharf, taken to a local depot, unpacked and sorted and made available for all importers. Whilst not common, Border Holds can be placed on LCL containers as well, which can delay the availability of your freight, and also incur additional costs like storage. These costs are passed on to the importer of the goods.

Yes, we do. We have our own dedicated warehouse located in Melbourne where we can unpack, store and re-distribute your freight. We can also organise this service in other major capital cities around Australia. Contact us now to find out how we can find a complete warehousing solution for you.

Yes we do. Do you have a few pallets you need to move from one location to another within Australia? Or a full container which requires coastal or rail movement? Contact us now for a competitive quote to get your freight moving with ease.

It pays to be well organised and informed when you are importing into Australia. Ensure you have all the correct documentation required for your shipment, and that you pass it on to your Customs Broker well in advance of arrival, to ensure the Customs Declaration can be lodged ahead of arrival into Australia. This gives the Australian Border Force ample time to review the documentation and make their assessments. Lodging documents close to arrival or even after arrival into Australia increases the chances of additional costs being incurred, such as wharf storage, and container detention.

Container detention is a fee paid to the owner of the container (usually a shipping line) for hire of the container, after your ‘free hire’ time has expired. ‘Free hire time’ varies between shipping lines, but is usually around 7 – 10 days from the first day your container is available from the wharf. If you are unable to have your container returned within this time, container detention will be charged by the shipping line to the consignee (importer) noted on the Bill of Lading and is charged on a daily basis. If your container remains on a Border Hold after the vessel has arrived into the Port and been made available for collection, it will start to eat into your ‘free time’, regardless of whether you can collect your container or not.

Carriers (trucking companies) require a minimum of 72 working hours’ notice for empty container pickups and dehire.

For this reason, it is imperative that you lodge your documents to your Customs Broker well in advance, and have your container unpacked at your premises in a timely manner, enabling the container to be returned within the free time allocated.

Speak to our friendly team to find out how you can apply to have your ‘free-time’ extended, prior to shipping your container. Note, free time cannot be applied for after vessel departure.

Wharf storage is storage which is incurred at the wharf, after the free time to collect has passed. Stevedores currently provide three days free storage for containers once they are declared available for delivery after discharge from the vessel. These days may fall on public holidays or weekends. It is important to note that transport companies may not work on public holidays or weekends, or a surcharge may apply if so. Wharf storage can be quite expensive, and sometimes alternative arrangements may need to be made to avoid or minimise storage if you are unable to accept delivery within the free days provided.

To minimise your risk of incurring wharf storage, the Australian Border Force (ABF) recommends that all required documentation is provided at least 24 hours prior to the arrival of the vessel at the port of discharge. This will allow the ABF time to have finalised its risk assessment, and meet the terms for access to the additional free storage arrangements. For more information regarding Sea Cargo Status please refer to AUSTRALIAN CUSTOMS CARGO ADVICE NOTICE (ACCA) 2012/18

https://www.abf.gov.au/help-and-support-subsite/CargoAdvices/2012-18.pdf

Transvoras Logistics will provide you with free consultation and preliminary check for import logistics, as any duties overpaid must be claimed within 4 years from date on importation. We advise all importers to look into the benefit of Audit services. On our 1st consultation you will be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement with Transvoras Logistics, should no errors be found you will not be charged, should Transvoras Logistics find areas where monies may be reclaimed our services are provided on a percentage of monies refundable.

Complete our simple enquiry form here with your contact and shipping details or send us an email to enquiry@Transvoras.com.

Yes we do. We can offer either per shipment or annual cover where the volume of your shipment justifies considering that option. Our underwriters are based in Australia so for any claims, you will be communicating with an officer directly based in Australia. We also offer insurance via our online insurance calculator where you can estimate your premium cost in seconds and pay for same online.

Absolutely! We are a Melbourne based company, so if you prefer to discuss your importing and exporting requirements face to face, in our office to organise a time, alternatively, email us at enquiry@Transvoras.com. We can also facilitate face to face conferences online via Zoom or Microsoft Teams.