As an important manufacturing country in the world, China's base metals and their products occupy an important position in international trade. In recent years, China's exports of base metals and their products to Australia have shown a steady growth trend. In 2023, base metals and their products constituted an important part of China's exports to Australia, and the specific categories include:

• Iron or steel products: Export volume reached$3.39 billion。
• Aluminum and aluminum products: The total export volume is$1.62 billion。
• Tools, knives, metalwork: Export volume is$681 million。
• Other base metal products: Export volume reached$651 million。
• Steel: The total export volume is$440 million。
• Copper and copper products: Export volume is$207 million。

With the continuous development of Australia's economy and the continuous advancement of infrastructure construction, Australia's demand for base metals and products is also growing, especially in the fields of construction and manufacturing. At the same time, Chinese companies continue to improve product quality and technical level, and are very popular in the Australian market with their quality and price advantages. Today, let us start a China-Australia trade journey from the perspective of base metals and products!

1. Specific export process

1. Signing of the contract
Sign a detailed sales contract with the Australian importer to specify product specifications, quantity, price, delivery date, payment method and other terms to ensure that the rights and interests of both parties are protected.

2. Prepare the goods
Organize the production or purchase of base metals and products in accordance with contract requirements, ensure that product quality meets relevant standards, and carry out appropriate packaging to meet the needs of transportation and protection of products.

3. Handle export customs clearance formalities

• Registration：Exporting enterprises need to register and file with the local customs and inspection and quarantine bureau, and obtain import and export rights and self-inspection registration certificates.
• Prepare documents: After the goods arrive at the customs supervision area, 24 hours before loading, prepare the required documents, including list, invoice, contract, verification form, customs declaration letter, shipping company loading list, customs clearance form, export license and other relevant documents, and start declaring to the customs.
• Inspection：Some base metals and products may need to be subject to statutory inspection. Exporters should declare to the Inspection and Quarantine Bureau at least three days before customs declaration and provide relevant documents. If the outer packaging is made of wood, it is also necessary to do fumigation or heat treatment to ensure that it complies with the requirements of the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM 15) to prevent the invasion of pests.

4. Arrange transportation
Choose the appropriate mode of transportation according to the quantity and delivery time of the goods:

• air transport: Suitable for time-sensitive and high-value goods. It can usually be delivered to Australia within 3-7 days, but the air freight cost is higher.
• The Maritime：Suitable for the transportation of bulk commodities, bulk cargo shipping has low cost and relatively long transportation time, usually 10-40 days, depending on the distance between the departure port and the destination port and the congestion of the port.

In addition, companies need to contact freight forwarders or shipping companies to book space and arrange for the transportation of goods to Australia.

5. Apply for a certificate of origin
If the tariff preferential policies of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) apply, exporting enterprises need to apply to the customs or CCPIT for a China-Australia FTA certificate of origin to prove that the products comply with the rules of origin and enjoy corresponding tariff reductions.

6. Customs clearance in Australia
After the goods arrive at the Australian port, the importer needs to submit relevant documents to the Australian Customs for customs clearance, including commercial invoice, bill of lading, certificate of origin, packing list, etc. Customs will inspect and tax the goods to ensure that the goods meet Australia's import requirements.

7. Delivery of Goods
After completing customs clearance formalities, the importer arranges to pick up the goods and transport them to the designated location to complete the delivery.

II. Relevant certification standards and compliance requirements

1. AS/NZS certification
Certain base metals and products may need to comply with Australian or Australian New Zealand Joint Standards (AS/NZS), particularly for products used in construction or infrastructure projects, to ensure they meet safety and quality benchmarks. Compliance can increase product recognition and acceptance in the marketplace.

2. China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA)
The China-Australia Free Trade Agreement provides preferential tariff treatment for eligible goods. Enterprises need to ensure that their products meet the origin standards and are accompanied by a valid certificate of origin in order to enjoy the preferential policy of tariff reduction or exemption.

3. Other certification standards

• SAA CertificationandC-Tick CertificationandGECA CertificationandACCC certificationIt is usually not applicable to general base metals and products unless the product has specific properties or uses, such as containing electrical components or involving environmental requirements.
• ISO 9001 Quality Management System Certification：This certification helps companies establish a sound quality management system and improve their competitiveness in the Australian market. It is applicable to all industries and types of companies.

3. Relevant regulations and packaging requirements

1. China-Australia Free Trade Agreement
After the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement came into effect, about 85.4% of the export goods between the two sides immediately achieved zero tariffs, including some base metals and products. Enterprises can enjoy tariff reductions and exemptions with certificates of origin.

2. Australian import control regulations
Australia has strict control measures on imported goods. Base metals and their products must comply with Australia's relevant safety, quality and environmental standards. Some base metals and their products may require corresponding import licenses or meet specific conditions before they can be imported.

3. Product safety regulations
Base metals and products made from them must meet Australia's general product safety requirements to ensure that they will not cause harm to users under normal use or reasonable misuse.

4. Labelling and packaging regulations

• Language requirements: The label content should be accurate, clear and complete, and must be in English or in Chinese and English.
• Packaging standards: Packaging must comply with Australia's biosafety standards to ensure that packaging materials do not contain pollutants such as soil and plant residues to prevent impacts on the environment.
• Environmental requirements: According to Australia's latest environmental regulations, packaging should be designed to be recyclable and reusable, in line with the principles of a circular economy.

Conclusion

In the future, the prospect of China's base metals and products exports to Australia is still very broad, and the trade cooperation between the two sides in this field will continue to deepen. Only by fully understanding and strictly abiding by the entire process and precautions of China's base metals and products exports to Australia and ensuring compliance and efficient trade processes can export enterprises occupy a favorable position in the market and promote the sustained and healthy development of China-Australia trade.