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importing.com.au

6 min read · Updated October 2026

Illustration for the guide: Importing Furniture & Homewares

Key takeaways

  • Timber furniture and pallets are biosecurity-sensitive: bark-free, treated, ISPM 15 compliant.
  • Freight dominates furniture landed cost — and it inflates the GST base (VoTI) too.
  • Toppling furniture needs anchors and warnings; ceramic foodware has lead/cadmium limits.

Importing Furniture & Homewares

Furniture is bulky, low-value-per-kilo and often made of timber — which makes it a biosecurity-sensitive category. The money and the quarantine rules both need attention before you ship.

Biosecurity: timber, bark and packaging

  • Timber, bamboo and wooden components must be bark-free and treated where BICON requires it — search BICON for your exact product type and origin.
  • Wooden packaging and pallets must comply with ISPM 15 (heat treatment or fumigation with the IPPC mark). Unmarked pallets are a classic reason for consignments to be held, treated at cost, or re-exported.
  • Any soil, plant material or insect contamination triggers treatment or destruction at the importer's expense — DAFF operates on full cost recovery.
  • During BMSB season (roughly September–April), furniture shipped as break-bulk from target risk countries may face seasonal measures — confirm treatment requirements before booking.

Safety & compliance

Product Rule
Toppling furniture (chests of drawers, tall shelving) Mandatory anchoring standard and warning labels
Bunk beds, cots, baby furniture Category-specific mandatory standards (entrapment, stability, lead paint)
Ceramic foodware Lead/cadmium leach limits — excessive levels need ABF permission
Glazed ceramics, toys with toxic coatings Restricted — permission required
Electric furniture (massage chairs, lift desks, lamps) RCM/EESS applies — see the electronics guide

Duty, GST and landed cost

  • Most furniture carries the general 5% duty rate, with 0% under ChAFTA/AANZFTA/CPTPP for qualifying goods from the main sourcing countries — claim it with origin documents.
  • GST is 10% of VoTI — and because furniture freight is a large share of value, the freight component inflates your GST bill noticeably. Model it in the landed cost calculator.
  • Freight dominates the landed cost: sea FCL is effectively the only economical mode for volume; consolidate suppliers into one container where possible.

Homewares extras

  • Cosmetics, candles and cleaning products sold alongside homewares fall under AICIS industrial chemicals rules (registration, GHS labelling, SDS).
  • Textile homewares (bedding, towels, curtains) need care labelling like clothing — see the clothing & textiles guide.
  • Keep supplier declarations for materials and finishes on file — especially asbestos-free declarations for older-style composite products and brake-adjacent hardware.

Frequently asked questions

Can I import wooden furniture into Australia?

Yes, but timber must be bark-free and treated where BICON requires it for your product and origin, and all wooden packaging and pallets must be ISPM 15 compliant. Unmarked pallets or contamination mean treatment, re-export or destruction at your cost.

What is the duty on furniture imports?

Most furniture lines carry the 5% general rate, with 0% available under FTAs such as ChAFTA, AANZFTA and CPTPP with valid origin documents. Because freight is a large share of furniture's value, note that GST applies to the freight cost too.

Are there safety standards for furniture?

Yes — toppling furniture requires anchors and warning labels, bunk beds and cots have category-specific mandatory standards, ceramic foodware has lead/cadmium leach limits, and any furniture with electrical components must meet RCM/EESS rules.