Do imported electronics need approval before sale in Australia?

Yes. Electrical and wireless products must meet RCM requirements: electrical safety under the EESS (with Certificates of Conformity for prescribed high-risk items like chargers), EMC rules, and ACMA radio standards for anything with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or cellular.

Can I ship lithium batteries by air?

Yes, but they are IATA dangerous goods: you need UN38.3 test summaries, state-of-charge limits, and compliant packaging and labels. Many importers move battery products by sea to simplify compliance.

Who is legally responsible for electrical safety compliance?

The Australian Responsible Supplier — which, for imported goods, is the Australian importer. You must register on the EESS database, hold test reports, and mark products with the RCM.

Importing Electronics & Electrical Goods

Electronics clear customs easily — the hard part is legal sale. Electrical and electronic products must meet Australia's safety, EMC and radio rules before they hit the shelf, and the responsibility sits with the Australian importer, not the overseas factory.

The RCM — the mark that covers it all

The Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM) is the single compliance mark for electrical safety, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), radiocomms and telecom. If a product plugs in, charges, or transmits, assume it needs RCM compliance.

EESS — electrical safety levels

Under the Electrical Equipment Safety System, equipment falls into risk levels:

Level	Equipment	Requirement
Level 1	Low-risk (most battery/USB devices)	Responsible Supplier registration + declaration
Level 2	Medium-risk	Compliance folder with test reports
Level 3	Prescribed/high-risk (power supplies, chargers, adapters, mains appliances, etc.)	Certificate of Conformity from a certifier + EESS registration before sale

The Responsible Supplier must be an Australian legal entity — as the importer, that's usually you. Register on the EESS database, keep your compliance folder, and mark products with the RCM.

ACMA — wireless and EMC

Anything with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cellular or RF transmission needs compliance with ACMA's applicable standards, evidenced by test reports, before it can be supplied. Chargers and power adapters without radios still face EMC rules.

Shipping constraints

Lithium batteries are IATA dangerous goods: air freight requires UN38.3 test summaries, proper state-of-charge limits, packaging and labels. Sea freight is more forgiving but still regulated.
Aerosols, strong magnets and liquids attract air-freight restrictions too.

Other traps

Button/coin batteries in consumer products trigger ACCC mandatory standards — secure compartments and warnings are mandatory (child-safety rules).
Chargers and power boards are Level 3 prescribed items — the single most common e-commerce compliance failure.
Parallel-imported branded goods can raise trade mark issues; counterfeits are seized and destroyed.

Cost picture

Most electronics are duty-free or 5% depending on the tariff line (many qualify for 0% under ChAFTA from China with origin documents). GST is 10% of VoTI. Model it in the calculator, and get RCM testing done at origin — Australian lab remediation after arrival costs multiples of pre-shipment testing.