Elje / Prices

Freight and port charges

What it costs to move a fit-out from Foshan to each Australian port and on to site, at October 2026 rates (RBA exchange rate of 16 October 2026). Converted from US dollars at A$1 = US$0.6947.

own container20 FT OR 40 FTa whole house of joinery, stone or tiles,packed and labelled to your plans.shared containerPER CUBIC METREone room rides with other orders,consolidated at our forwarder. yours is the lime one.

A whole house fills its own container. A room's worth shares one and pays by the cubic metre.

Sea freight, South China to Australia

Ocean freight and surcharges only, in AUD. A revenue tonne is the larger of cubic metres and tonnes. Transit is port to port, including the delays seen in September 2026.

PortShared container, per revenue tonneOwn 20 ftOwn 40 ftDays
Port of Brisbane$50 to $216$3,174 to $3,879$6,219 to $7,91714 to 36
Port Botany$50 to $216$3,174 to $3,879$6,219 to $7,91714 to 30
Port of Melbourne$50 to $216$3,174 to $3,879$6,219 to $7,91714 to 34
Port Adelaide (Flinders Adelaide Container Terminal)$50 to $216$3,174 to $3,879$6,219 to $8,20520 to 35
Fremantle (Port of Fremantle, Perth)$50 to $216$3,174 to $3,879$6,219 to $8,20512 to 28

What is coming

  • ANL: plus US$500 per 20 ft and US$1,000 per 40 ft from 1 November 2026.
  • MSC: plus US$500 per 20 ft equivalent from 1 November 2026.
  • ONE: plus US$1,000 per 40 ft from 10 November 2026.

Own container or shared

On our model, a shipment into Brisbane of about 23 cubic metres or more is cheaper in its own 20 ft container than in a shared one, at the middle of today's rates. Tiles hit the 20 ft weight limit at about 1,000 m2 long before they fill it.

In China

ChargeRange (AUD)Unit
FCL origin charges, EXW to FOB (export docs, origin THC/port handling, trucking factory to port)$288 to $576per container
Trucking factory to CFS or port (stand-alone)$144 to $576per trip
LCL origin CFS / consolidation$29 to $72per m3
Export documentation and bill of lading fee$72 to $144per shipment
ISPM 15 heat treatment of timber pallets or crates$12 to $22per pallet

In Australia

Port, terminal and border charges, as published. Biosecurity inspection and treatment apply only when the container is selected or the packaging fails ISPM 15.

Applies toChargeAmount (AUD)UnitPorts
Own containerDestination terminal handling / local port charges (shipping line DTHC), 20ft$360.00 to $660.00per 20ftall ports
Own containerDestination terminal handling / local port charges (shipping line DTHC), 40ft$880.00 to $990.00per 40ftall ports
Own containerStevedore landside / infrastructure charge, full import container, Brisbane$232.79 to $243.50per container (any size), ex GSTBrisbane
Own containerStevedore landside / infrastructure charge, full import container, Sydney (Port Botany)$224.90 to $233.36per container (any size), ex GSTSydney
Own containerStevedore landside / infrastructure charge, full import container, Melbourne$242.00per container (any size), ex GSTMelbourne
Own containerStevedore landside / infrastructure charge, full import container, Fremantle$77.92 to $96.13per container (any size), ex GSTFremantle
Own containerStevedore landside charge, Adelaide (FACT) plus Berth 6 Extension Levy$35.80per TEU, ex GST (levy only)Adelaide
Own containerVehicle Booking System (VBS) slot fee passed through by the carrier$50.45 to $59.80per truck visitall ports
Own containerEmpty container park notification / dehire fee$11.00 to $65.00per container, ex GSTall ports
Shared containerDestination CFS / deconsolidation and LCL port charges$280.00 to $450.00per shipmentall ports
Shared containerDestination CFS / deconsolidation, per m3 basis$22.00 to $58.00per m3all ports
Shared containerLCL destination documentation / delivery order fee$43.00 to $108.00per shipmentall ports
Every entryCustoms broker fee, formal import declaration (N10)$150.00 to $400.00per entryall ports
Every entryABF Import Processing Charge, sea, value AUD 10,000 or more, electronic$152.00per declarationall ports
Every entryDAFF Full Import Declaration charge, sea (collected by ABF)$71.00per declarationall ports
Every entryDAFF fee for service: document assessment or in-office activity, ordinary hours$42.00per 15 minutes per officerall ports
Every entryDAFF inspection, out-of-office (at the depot or wharf), ordinary hours$70.00per 15 minutes per officerall ports
Every entryBiosecurity inspection all-in when a container is selected (depot tailgate or unpack plus DAFF time)$850.00 to $1,280.00per container (20ft low, 40ft high)Brisbane
Every entryTreatment of non-compliant timber packaging on arrival (fumigation or heat treatment)$800.00 to $1,500.00per containerall ports

Delivery from the port

Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast deliveries come from the Port of Brisbane, Canberra from Port Botany, Perth from Fremantle. These bands are the least certain figures on this page; partner rate cards will replace them.

FromTo20 ft container40 ft container
Port of BrisbaneBrisbane metro$300 to $1,200$300 to $1,600
Port of BrisbaneGold Coast$2,000 to $2,800$2,800 to $3,800
Port of BrisbaneSunshine Coast$2,000 to $2,800$2,800 to $3,800
Port BotanySydney metro$350 to $1,200$350 to $1,600
Port BotanyCanberra$2,000 to $3,900$2,800 to $3,900
Port of MelbourneMelbourne metro$350 to $1,200$350 to $1,600
Port AdelaideAdelaide metro$300 to $1,200$300 to $1,600
FremantlePerth metro$400 to $1,200$400 to $1,600

Insurance

All-risks marine cover at 0.2 to 1.0 percent of the goods and freight plus 10 percent, about 0.5 percent typical. Stone, glass and ceramics sit at the top of the range. Never rely on the carrier's own liability.

Questions

Why do the shared-container rates vary so much?

Forwarders price shared containers very differently: some quote a low ocean rate and recover it in local charges, others quote all-in. Compare the whole landed number, never the ocean rate alone.

How often does this page change?

Monthly, with the date of every figure.

Sources