Australian Customs and Quarantine (AQIS) requirements for Importing Boats
Boats on trailers & non motorised vessels
This page was last updated on Tuesday, 16 February 2010 05:19:49 PM

NB: We are not the Australian Government we are private company that happens to be involved in international shipping, Australian customs clearance, marine insurance.

Firstly
You are required to obtain an import permit from the Federal Department of Infrastructure for Boats on trailers
You do not need an import permit if boat comes on a cradle
If you are going to get a wooden/timber cradle made make sure the timber is treated timber and is stamped accordingly and that you have treatment certificate.

Secondly
You will have to pay Australian Import Duty and G.S.T.
(Import Duty exemptions of Zero / Nil / Nothing / Zilch if you purchase a New Zealand (NZ) made boat and trailer .. as per C.E.R agreement signed between former prime ministers Muldoon and Frasier)
Or America under Free Trade Agreement signed off by Bush and Howard (You need a American Boat Dealer)

Australian Import Duty is 5 % on vessels / boats under 150 m/t Gross Construction Weight
Over 150 m/t Gross Construction Weight DUTY FREE

If your vessel / boat is classified as a commercial venture to generate income their are SALES TAX EXEMPTIONS

The Australian Customs Department have set the Duty Rate at 5% and G.S.T 10% on the landed price in Australia (landed price means purchase price, ocean freight and 1/4 of 1 % for Marine Insurance even though you may not have take out insurance) ... You have purchased a commercial product that can be sold in Australia that's why you pay Import Duty and GST to Australian Customs via us when we do the Customs Clearance.
For the umpteen thousand time a boat or boat on trailer or vehicle is not classified as Personal Effects or for Personal Use unless you have owned and used said item for more than 12 months (the magic words are owned and used so that means you have been living overseas for more than 12 months and can show you owned and used said boat, trailer or vehicle for more than 12 months overseas.

If you get hooked on the internet seeing those so called magical cheap prices on boats in America
Do your self a favour the quickest way for a heads up price without annoying us and thereby saving your marriage is to get the Internet listed boat price and x (times) by 3 (three) that should cover the purchase price, transport, packing, USA stevedoring, ocean freight, Australian stevedoring, cartage, unpacking, Customs and Quarantine (AQIS) clearance.
And for our middle eastern Australian's who tell me adfinitum, Ooooh matee I brought a boat for a US$1.00 so will you ship it for US$3.00 well I am pleased that you got your boat on special from Toys R Us just for you so do yourself a favour and put a postage stamp on it and post it.

If you purchase your boat in USA from a registered business, great ... because they can state said boat is American made and they can issue an FTA certificate of origin (required as per Australian / USA free trade agreement) ......... No Import Duty, I shall repeat that: No Import Duty. The boat dealer will work in with our shipping agent who will give you the FTA certificate of origin or explain how you can secure one.

E Bay customers please don't bother talking to or emailing us .. the American E Bay sellers do not work or operate in the same business hours as our American Shipping representatives, (E Bay sellers work after hours or in weekends) American E Bay seller expect you or us to pick up your boat, trailer or vehicle from their location, E Bay sellers are known to charge you storage while you wait the mandatory 28 days for your boat trailer import permit to come through from Australia's Dept of Infrastructure.

We will not ship your boat on trailer or trailer or vehicle until you send us a copy of the Dept of Infrastructure Import Permit by email or fax ..  the bottom line is we don't need the agro and temper tantrums when it arrives in Australia because you don't have the Import Permit ... your choice is to pay the wharf storage which is equivalent to ongoing divorce and alimony costs or you will be told in no uncertain terms by Customs via the Dept of infrastructure to ship it out of Australia say to PNG or NZ ... you can not take it to the dump, scrap yard or join the bottom of the harbour tax avoidance schemes, you could netherless make it a 50/50 deduction when you come to the divorce .. You and I mean You, can pay for costs to ship it out of the country and re-apply for another Import permit .. your choice is Papua New Guinea, New Zealand or since your goods are now untouchable, you might as well ship it to the French Nuclear testing site at Moruroa Atoll and join all the other unmentionable hot items ....... So you have been told, get the Import Permit so don't come whinging to us.

America do not have our container swing lift trucking system that drives out to your nominated premises and places said shipping container on the ground, leaves and comes back a couple of days later to pick up the full container. So you will have to make arrangements to work with our American agents for you to transport your pride and joy to one of our nominated container packing depots in America (and NO you can not come into our American depots and pack your vehicle or boat unless you are member of the Longshoreman's union) if you wish to use / pack our shipping container you will have to find another location that's got container forklifts or whatever it is you need.