Import glossary
Every acronym and term you'll meet when importing into Australia, in plain English.
- ABF
- Australian Border Force — customs regulator
- ABN
- Australian Business Number — business identifier for tax/customs
- AICIS
- Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme
- ARTG
- Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods
- AS/NZS
- Australian/New Zealand Standard
- BICON
- Biosecurity Import Conditions system (DAFF)
- BMSB
- Brown Marmorated Stink Bug — seasonal biosecurity target
- CIF
- Cost, Insurance, Freight (Incoterm)
- CITES
- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
- Customs value (CVAL)
- Value basis for duty — usually FOB price paid/payable
- DAFF
- Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (biosecurity)
- DDP / DAP
- Delivered Duty Paid / Delivered at Place (Incoterms)
- Duty
- Customs duty, typically 5% general rate (0% common)
- EESS
- Electrical Equipment Safety System
- FOB
- Free On Board — price excluding international freight/insurance (also Incoterm)
- FSANZ
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand
- GST
- Goods and Services Tax — 10%, applied on imports via VoTI
- HS code
- Harmonized System tariff classification code
- ICS
- Integrated Cargo System — ABF electronic declaration platform
- Incoterms
- International commercial terms defining buyer/seller responsibilities
- LCL / FCL
- Less-than / Full Container Load (sea freight)
- LCT
- Luxury Car Tax — 33% above threshold
- LVIG
- Low Value Imported Goods (GST rules, ≤ AUD 1,000)
- OGA
- Other Government Agency (permit-issuing regulator)
- RCM
- Regulatory Compliance Mark (electrical/radiocomms)
- SAC
- Self-Assessed Clearance declaration (≤ AUD 1,000 goods)
- T&I
- Transport and Insurance (added to customs value for VoTI)
- TCO
- Tariff Concession Order — duty-free concession
- TGA
- Therapeutic Goods Administration
- VoTI
- Value of Taxable Importation — GST base
- WET
- Wine Equalisation Tax — 29%