Why is this important?

Organising the right paperwork can make the export process much simpler and smoother. This applies if you are exporting a large amount of goods for sale or just taking a few samples to a trade show.

Certified export documentation is required by many countries. To export successfully it is important to understand some of the most commonly used documents, and when they are required.  Documents will vary according to which country you are exporting to, and how you are transporting the cargo.

Not having the right paperwork can result in an importer not being able to accept or pay for your goods.

What to do

As a new exporter, your first step is to register with Australian Customs for their Integrated Cargo System.

Documents you will need include:

• ATA Carnets
• Bills of exchange and insurance certificates
• Bills of lading
• Certificates of Free Sale
• Certificates of Manufacture
• Certificates of Origin
• Certified Declaration of Origin

You will need these documents as requested by the country you are exporting to. The Austrade website maintains information on each market as well as the import documents that are required for that market.

Acquire a Certificate of Origin

A Certificate of Origin verifies the place of growth, production or manufacture of goods, and contains certification by an empowered authority. If required, the certificate must be issued to you by an authorised body as approved by the Australia Customs Service and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Similarly, a Certified Declaration of Origin verifies the origin of goods manufactured outside of Australia.

The certificates are used for customs clearance at the destination country. Certificates of Origin can also be requested by the overseas buyer or the business receiving your goods. In some instances, the business receiving the goods will require a Certificate of Origin before authorising its bank to issue a letter of credit and, thus, payment.

In accordance with some free trade agreements, Certificates of Origin are required as part of the application for preferential tariffs. For example, Australian exports must be registered under the Thailand-Australia Free Trade Agreement (TAFTA) and accompanied by a TAFTA Certificate of Origin in order to qualify for the preferential rates.

If you do not supply the Certificate of Origin, the overseas business importing your goods has to pay duty, increasing the cost of your product in the overseas market. Therefore, issuing a Certificate of Origin to your overseas partners will assist you in remaining price competitive.

Learn more about export documentation here.

Acquire ATA Carnets

Travelling overseas with expensive equipment can be fraught with difficulties in areas such as customs duties, sales taxes, paperwork, and fluctuating currency. ATA Carnets can help overcome these difficulties.

The ATA Carnet is an international customs document that permits duty free temporary import/entry of goods into other countries for up to one year. Their versatility means they can be used for most of your business-related items such as commercial samples, professional equipment, and goods for presentations, trade fairs, shows, and exhibitions.

They are not intended for goods that will not be returned to Australia, for example food products that are to be used as samples at a trade show. In the case that goods registered under an ATA Carnet are not returned to Australia, your business will be responsible for paying duty.

If you require an ATA Carnet, it must be authorised by the Australia Customs Service and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Learn more about ATA Carnets here.

See how it’s done

Case study 1: Certificate of Origin

Albany International’s customer service rep, Teisha Hoad, manages the company’s Certificates of Origin. She says that requests from the company they are exporting to are the most common reason they need certificates.

“I have to supply certificates to companies in China for most letters of credit. We also export to Europe and we have to supply a certificate for use in the customs clearance process,” says Hoad.

“The free trade agreement with Thailand has prompted Thai companies to ask for a Certificate of Origin as proof that the goods are from Australia. This is so they can claim the duty back from the Thai Government. If we don’t supply the Certificate of Origin, the company importing the goods from us has to pay duty, increasing the cost of our product.”

“The duty exemption under TAFTA makes our products more price competitive against products from other countries that don’t have the same advantage. We have quite a few competitors in Europe and North America that export into our market, and now we have an advantage over them because of TAFTA.”

Getting this advantage is not a complicated or timely process.

“Getting the certificates is simple. We get our certificates from Australian Business International Trade Services. They send a template that we fill in each time, email to them, before getting it back the following day,” says Hoad.

“The good thing is that one certificate covers a whole shipment. Even if a shipment has ten different products you still only need one certificate.”

Case study 2: ATA Carnet

Marie-Claude Halimanis, senior carnet adviser with Australian Business International Trade Services has been processing ATA Carnets for 19 years. She explains how ATA Carnets can save a business money and time.

“ATA Carnets allow for the temporary admission of goods. I process ATA Carnets for goods for everything from trade shows to film shoots,” she says.

“The most common products are computers, filming equipment, jewellery and clothing for fashion shoots and designers going to fashion shows.”

“When Lord of the Rings was being filmed in New Zealand a lot of equipment was hired from Australia that needed to be covered by an ATA Carnet. Popular music band INXS also required an ATA Carnet for their equipment when they toured the world.”

“Usually when you import something you will have to pay duty at customs. If you go to five or six countries you need to pay customs duty five or six times. It can be very expensive and getting that money back can take a long time.”

“If you have an ATA Carnet you only have to pay once in Australia because the ATA Carnet provides proof that the goods are not being imported, just admitted temporarily.”

By eliminating the need to pay individual value added taxes, sales taxes and customs duties in over 65 countries, ATA Carnets allow businesses to more easily manage the costs associated with travelling as only one payment in local currency is required.

The document also reduces the time involved in the customs process. ATA Carnets can be completed well ahead of travelling time, goods do not need to be registered with customs at the time of departure, and the single document, completed in English once only, is satisfactory for all customs formalities, eliminating the need for multiple customs documents at individual ports.

“You avoid a lot of paper work by using an ATA Carnet,” says Halimanis. “And it is pretty easy to get an ATA Carnet. All you have to do is fill in an application form and provide a list of the goods. And you only need one ATA Carnet to cover all the goods that will be leaving and coming back together.”

Where to go for help

Do it yourself

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: The department provides foreign and trade policy advice to the government. We work with other government agencies to ensure that Australia's pursuit of its global, regional and bilateral interests is coordinated effectively.

Australian Customs Service: Learn more about Integrated Cargo Systems, ATA Carnets and Certificates of Origin.

Austrade: Learn about what different documents are required in overseas markets.

New South Wales Business Chamber: A repository of searchable information for exporters.

Australian Business International Trade Services: Providing practical guidance on international trade. 

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NSW Business Chamber Online Business Directory connects you to thousands of businesses across NSW. With exclusive access to special offers and great deals, you will find a service provider, business partner or supplier who can meet your needs. Listing on the Online Business Directory is open exclusively to NSW Business Chamber members.

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