Your supplier in Seoul has approved the final samples, the serum labels look beautiful, and the first carton run is ready to leave the factory. The freight part feels like the easy bit. So why do so many first shipments of skincare get held up at the border, or reach the warehouse only to be pulled from sale a month later?
Because importing cosmetics into Australia is not one job. It is a chain of checks run by different regulators, and most of them happen before the goods ever reach a ship or a plane. Miss one early, and the problem usually surfaces at the worst possible moment: when the stock is already paid for and sitting at the port.
To import cosmetics or skincare into Australia for sale, your business generally needs to register with the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) and check every ingredient, label ingredients under the Consumer Goods (Cosmetics) Information Standard 2020, before the goods arrive, confirm the products are cosmetics rather than therapeutic goods, label them to the ACCC’s ingredients standard, ship any perfumes or aerosols as dangerous goods, and clear the shipment through customs with duty and GST paid.
This guide walks you through that chain in the order you will meet it: product classification, AICIS registration, labelling, biosecurity, dangerous goods, then duty, GST and freight. By the end, you will know what to settle with your supplier, what your customs broker needs, and where the real risks sit.
Importing cosmetics into Australia involves five separate checkpoints, and each one belongs to a different authority. Customs clearance is only the last of them. The rest are product rules that sit with you, the importer, because in Australia the business that brings the goods in is usually the one the regulators hold responsible.
That catches a lot of new brands out. Australia has no pre-market product registration scheme for ordinary cosmetics, so nobody signs your product off before launch. The obligations still exist; they are simply yours to meet.
| Checkpoint | Who regulates it | What it decides | When you need to deal with it |
| Product classification | Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) | Whether the product is a cosmetic or a therapeutic good | Before you place the order |
| Ingredient introduction | Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) | Whether your business is registered and each ingredient is categorised | Before the goods arrive |
| Labelling and safety | Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) | Ingredient listing and consumer law compliance | Before the labels are printed |
| Transport safety | Airlines, shipping lines and dangerous goods rules | Whether flammable or pressurised products can travel, and how | When you book freight |
| Border clearance | Australian Border Force (ABF) and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) | Duty, GST, permits and biosecurity | When the goods land |
The order matters. Every checkpoint above the border one is cheaper to fix at the factory than at the wharf.
Importing cosmetics into Australia means satisfying several regulators at once, each looking at a different part of the same product. Customs looks at the shipment. The chemicals regulator looks at the ingredients. The consumer regulator looks at the label. The transport rules look at what could catch fire or leak on the way here. And the tax office looks at the value.
None of these checks happen in a neat sequence at the wharf. Some, like AICIS registration, need to be in place before your goods leave the factory. Others, like ingredient labelling, are enforced after the product is on shelves, which is why a non-compliant shipment can clear customs without a problem and still cost you a recall months later.
| Regulator | What it looks at | What it means for you |
| Australian Border Force (ABF) | The import declaration, tariff classification, prohibited goods | Correct classification and value, duty and GST paid before release |
| Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) | The chemical ingredients you introduce into Australia | Business registration and an authorised category for each ingredient |
| Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) | Ingredient labelling and consumer product safety | Compliant ingredient lists, truthful claims, mandatory incident reporting |
| Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) | Products that make therapeutic claims, and some sunscreens | A different, stricter regime if your product crosses the line |
| Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) | Biosecurity risk from packaging and some natural ingredients | Possible checks for animal- or plant-derived material |
| Australian Taxation Office (ATO) | GST on taxable importations | GST at the border, or deferred if you are eligible |
The rules in this guide are written for commercial importers: brands, private-label sellers, salons, distributors and online retailers bringing in stock to sell. If you are bringing in a handful of products for your own use, the commercial registration and labelling obligations usually don’t bite in the same way. The moment you sell, give away as part of a business or supply to others, treat yourself as a commercial importer.
Free samples and testers are a partial exception for labelling only, which we cover below. They do not change your chemical registration obligations.
The first question is not “how do I ship it?” but “what is it, legally?” A cosmetic is broadly a product used to cleanse, perfume, change the appearance of, protect or keep the skin, hair, nails, teeth or mouth in good condition. A therapeutic good is used for a therapeutic purpose, such as preventing, treating or curing a disease or condition.
According to the TGA’s cosmetics guidance, the TGA does not assess cosmetics unless they make therapeutic claims. Once a product crosses that line, it falls under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989, and the TGA’s guidance on determining whether your product is a cosmetic or a therapeutic good states that therapeutic goods must be entered in the ARTG before they are imported, supplied or advertised, unless an exclusion or approval applies.
The TGA looks at four things: the claims made about the product, its ingredients, how it is used, and whether it has been specifically excluded or declared not to be a therapeutic good. Making that call is the business’s job.
Because the answer decides which rulebook applies to everything else. In Australia, a cosmetic is broadly a product placed on the outside of the body to cleanse, perfume, protect, change the appearance of or keep it in good condition. A therapeutic good is a product intended to prevent, diagnose, treat or cure a disease, ailment or injury, or to influence a physiological process.
The same jar of cream can sit on either side of that line depending on what you say about it. The Consumer Goods (Cosmetics) Information Standard 2020 expressly excludes therapeutic goods within the meaning of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989, so a product the TGA regulates is not handled under the cosmetics labelling rules at all. It is handled under therapeutic goods law, which is a far heavier process.
| Typically a cosmetic claim | Typically a therapeutic claim |
| “Moisturises dry skin” | “Treats eczema” or “relieves dermatitis” |
| “Reduces the appearance of fine lines” | “Repairs damaged skin cells” or “stimulates collagen production” |
| “Cleanses and refreshes” | “Kills bacteria” or “prevents infection” |
| “Helps hair look thicker” | “Stops hair loss” or “treats alopecia” |
| “Calms the look of redness” | “Reduces inflammation” or “heals acne” |
| “Tinted moisturiser with SPF” (where sun protection is secondary) | “Primary sunscreen to prevent sunburn and skin cancer” |
Treat this table as a guide to how regulators tend to read claims, not a ruling. The wording on your pack, your website, your social media and your supplier’s marketing material can all count. If you plan to import a range you are buying off an overseas brand, check what that brand says about the product in its home market as well, because the claims often travel with it.
Claims are where most skincare importers get caught, because the claim often comes from the supplier’s overseas marketing rather than from you. A moisturiser described as hydrating is a cosmetic. The same moisturiser described as treating eczema is presenting itself as a therapeutic good.
Check the label, the outer carton, the insert, your website and your social media. In practice, words such as “treats”, “heals”, “cures”, “prevents” or “relieves” tied to a medical condition cause the trouble. If the supplier’s packaging carries claims you cannot use in Australia, change it before production.
Sunscreens are the classic grey zone. Australian regulation separates primary sunscreens, where sun protection is the main purpose, from secondary sunscreens, where SPF is an added benefit to a product with another primary use, such as a tinted moisturiser or a lipstick.
Primary sunscreens are regulated as therapeutic goods and need to be in the ARTG. The TGA states that many secondary sunscreen products are not therapeutic goods and are “excluded” from therapeutic goods regulation, which means they do not need ARTG inclusion, provided they meet the conditions that come with the exclusion. The TGA’s guidance on understanding the regulation of therapeutic sunscreens is the place to check which side your product sits on.
If sunscreen is a large part of your range, settle this before you commit to stock. A product that needs ARTG inclusion and does not have it cannot lawfully be supplied, whatever its customs status.
Sunscreens are where most cosmetics importers stumble. Customs groups sunscreens with skin care under heading 3304 of the tariff, but that is a tax classification, not a regulatory one. For the product rules, the TGA treats sunscreens whose main purpose is sun protection as therapeutic goods, while some products where sun protection is secondary, such as certain moisturisers and tinted foundations with an SPF, can be regulated as cosmetics under specific conditions.
The conditions are detailed and they change from time to time, so confirm the current position with the TGA before you place an order for any product carrying an SPF claim. If a product needs to be on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods and is not, it cannot lawfully be supplied, however well it clears customs.
The Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) regulates the import and manufacture of industrial chemicals, and cosmetic ingredients, natural and organic ones included, count as industrial chemicals. AICIS’s own guidance is direct: if you plan to sell cosmetics in Australia that you bought from overseas, your business must register with AICIS before you import them. The AICIS website has a decision tool that walks you through whether registration applies to you.
This is the rule that tends to surprise first-time cosmetics importers. Under the Industrial Chemicals Act 2019, anyone who introduces industrial chemicals into Australia for commercial purposes, whether by importing or manufacturing them, must be registered with AICIS. The ingredients in a finished cosmetic are industrial chemicals, so importing a finished lipstick or shampoo counts as introducing the chemicals inside it.
If your business is the importer of record for cosmetics you will sell, plan on registering. Section 13 of the Act is headed “Introducers must be registered”, and registration needs to be in place before the import happens, not after the goods arrive. Your registration also comes with ongoing obligations, such as keeping it current and meeting reporting and record-keeping requirements, so build it into your annual compliance calendar rather than treating it as a one-off form.
In AICIS terms, importing an industrial chemical is “introducing” it. If you import finished cosmetics for sale, your business is the introducer of every chemical ingredient in them, even though you never handle the raw chemicals.
Registration alone is not enough. Each introduction must also be authorised under one of the categories set out in the Act: listed, exempted, reported, assessed, or one of the narrower special categories.
Registration is only half of it. Each chemical you introduce has to fit a lawful category, and you need to know which:
Most established cosmetic ingredients are on the Inventory, but you cannot assume it. Ask your supplier early for a full ingredient list with CAS numbers; a supplier who will not provide a complete formula is one you will struggle to import from compliantly.
AICIS also bans the use of new animal test data for ingredients introduced solely for cosmetic use, for introductions from 1 July 2020, with limited exceptions.
In practice, this means you need a complete ingredient list from your supplier, ideally with Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) numbers, before you order. Without it, you cannot work out which category each ingredient falls into, and you cannot keep the records the scheme expects. A supplier that won’t disclose its formula to you is a supplier you will struggle to import from compliantly.
The Act contains specific bans on using animal test data to determine the category for chemicals introduced for use in cosmetics. If your product contains a new ingredient that is not already listed, ask your supplier how its safety has been established. This matters for compliance, and it also matters if you plan to market the range as cruelty-free, because that claim needs to be true across the whole supply chain.
After each registration year ends, registered businesses lodge an annual declaration with AICIS, due by 30 November. Records supporting how you categorised your introductions need to be kept for five years, even if you stop importing, and supplied to AICIS on request. Your registration is your responsibility; a freight forwarder or customs broker cannot hold it for you.
Australia has no single “approved ingredients” list for cosmetics. Instead, AICIS governs whether a chemical can be introduced, and the Poisons Standard, formally the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons (SUSMP), places certain substances into schedules with limits, conditions or labelling requirements.
The TGA notes that ingredients in cosmetic products may be subject to limits or requirements under the Poisons Standard. In practice, this matters most for hair dyes, chemical peels, skin-lightening products and formulas with high concentrations of actives. A formula sold freely overseas can need a warning statement or a lower concentration here. Check the full formula against the current standard before you order, because it is amended regularly.
Every cosmetic you supply in Australia needs an ingredient list that meets the Consumer Goods (Cosmetics) Information Standard 2020, a mandatory standard the ACCC enforces under the Australian Consumer Law. The standard applies to cosmetics imported into Australia as well as those made here, so an overseas label that is perfectly legal in its home market can still fall short here.
Labels are where Australian rules are most visible to customers. The cosmetics ingredients labelling mandatory standard, administered by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), sets out how ingredients must be listed on cosmetics supplied in Australia.
The ACCC’s cosmetics ingredients labelling guidance sets out what the standard requires. In summary:
| Requirement Labelling point | What the standard requires |
| Order of ingredients | Descending order by mass or volume, with colour additives listed last |
| Alternative order | Ingredients at 1% or more in descending order, then ingredients under 1% in any order, then colour additives in any order |
| Ingredient names | English names or International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient (INCI) names |
| Other languages | An additional ingredient list in another language is permitted |
| Presentation | Prominently shown and clearly legible |
| Where the list goes | On the container;If the product has no container, on the product itself |
| Small or awkward products | Where size or shape makes labelling impractical, the ingredient information must be prominently displayed with the product |
| Point of sale | Ingredient information should be available to consumers where the product is sold |
| Not covered | Therapeutic goods, free samples, testers, and cosmetics made in Australia for export |
| Quantities | Percentages or quantities of each ingredient are not required |
Three practical points sit alongside the ingredient list:
If labels are printed overseas, send the supplier an approved Australian proof and ask for photos of the printed packaging before the goods are packed. Relabelling in an Australian warehouse is possible, but it costs time and handling.
Free samples and testers are excluded from the standard, which helps if you are seeding a new range with stockists. Hand sanitisers that are excluded goods under therapeutic goods law have extra labelling requirements, including showing alcohol content as a percentage by volume and carrying warnings such as “Keep out of reach of children”. If your range includes sanitiser, check those additional rules before you print.
The ingredient list is the mandatory part, but every other word on the pack is covered by the Australian Consumer Law’s general ban on misleading or deceptive conduct. Claims such as “natural”, “organic”, “dermatologically tested”, “hypoallergenic” or “cruelty-free” need to be accurate and supportable. If your supplier provided the artwork, ask for the evidence behind each claim before you approve it, because the claim becomes yours the moment you sell the product in Australia.
Tip: It is usually cheaper and faster to have Australian-compliant labels printed at the factory than to relabel stock here. Send your supplier a checked label proof as part of the purchase order, not after the goods ship.
Biosecurity rules reach into cosmetics too. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry publishes import conditions in BICON, the Biosecurity Import Conditions database, which you can search by commodity or tariff code.
BICON includes a case covering the importation of cosmetics, which takes in products such as soap, shampoo, moisturiser and hair dye. Its conditions turn on whether the product contains ingredients of animal, plant or microbial origin beyond those the department has approved. That puts some popular product types in the frame:
Highly processed, retail-packaged cosmetics usually clear without issue, but check rather than assume. Run your products through BICON before you order, and arrange any permit or manufacturer’s declaration before shipping. Packaging counts too: wooden pallets and crates must meet the timber packaging import conditions set in BICON.
Many cosmetics are dangerous goods for transport, even though they are everyday products on a bathroom shelf. Alcohol-based perfumes and body mists are typically flammable liquids. Nail polish and many removers are flammable. Hairsprays, dry shampoos, spray deodorants and setting sprays usually travel as aerosols. Our guide to shipping dangerous goods to Australia explains the classes in detail.
For air cargo, the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations place the responsibility for correct classification on the shipper. Sea freight follows its own dangerous goods code. Either way, an undeclared dangerous good is a safety risk and a serious compliance breach, and a forwarder who finds one late may have no choice but to stop the booking.
What this means for you:
This checkpoint surprises skincare importers most, because the product feels harmless on a bathroom shelf. In transport, several common cosmetic formats are dangerous goods:
| Product type | Why it can be dangerous goods | What it means for freight |
| Alcohol-based perfumes, colognes and body mists | Flammable liquids, typically shipped as Class 3 “Perfumery products” (UN1266) | Must be classified, packed, marked and declared; not every airline or service accepts them |
| Nail polish and nail polish remover | Flammable solvents | Treated as flammable liquids in transport |
| Hairspray, dry shampoo, spray deodorant, aerosol sunscreen | Pressurised containers with flammable propellant | Classified as Class 2 gases; restrictions apply, especially by air |
| High-alcohol toners, hand sanitisers and setting sprays | Flammable depending on alcohol content and flash point | Check the safety data sheet before booking |
| Creams, lotions, serums and cleansers (water-based) | Generally not dangerous goods | Usually ship as general cargo, subject to the safety data sheet |
The International Air Transport Association’s Dangerous Goods Regulations place responsibility for correct classification on the shipper. That is why your freight forwarder asks for a safety data sheet (SDS) for every product: it shows whether the product is regulated for transport, under which UN number and class, and how it must be packed.
Two consequences follow. One undeclared aerosol can delay a whole mixed consignment. And the postal route is often closed: Australia Post lists flammable liquids such as nail polish and perfume among the items it restricts, and express couriers apply similar rules. If your range includes fragrance, plan for declared dangerous goods freight from day one. Our guide to shipping dangerous goods to Australia explains the classes and paperwork in more depth.
Generally, all goods imported into Australia attract duty and taxes unless an exemption or concession applies. For cosmetics, three things decide what you pay at the border: the tariff classification, the origin of the goods, and the value used for GST.
Once the product rules are settled, the border side is comparatively predictable. Duty depends on the tariff classification and origin of the goods, GST on their value, and both are worked out on the import declaration lodged with the Australian Border Force.
Most cosmetics and skincare fall under Chapter 33 of the Australian customs tariff, “Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations”. The ABF’s Chapter 33 schedule groups products into headings such as:
| Tariff heading | What it covers | Examples |
| 3303 | Perfumes and toilet waters | Eau de parfum, eau de toilette |
| 3304 | Beauty or make-up preparations and preparations for the care of the skin (other than medicaments), including sunscreen and sun tan preparations | Moisturisers, serums, foundation, lipstick, eye make-up, nail polish, face powders |
| 3305 | Preparations for use on the hair | Shampoo, hair spray, perming and straightening products |
| 3306 | Oral and dental hygiene preparations | |
| 3307 | Shaving preparations, personal deodorants, bath preparations, depilatories and other perfumery or toilet preparations | Shaving cream, deodorant, bath salts |
The ABF schedule lists a general duty rate of 5% for the main subheadings under 3303, 3304 and 3305; confirm the current rate for your exact subheading before relying on it. Soap is excluded from Chapter 33 and classified elsewhere.
Note that tariff classification and TGA classification are separate decisions. Sunscreen sits in heading 3304 for customs, yet a primary sunscreen still needs ARTG inclusion. Clearing customs does not make a product compliant to sell. Our HS code and tariff classification guide explains how classification works in practice.
Australia has free trade agreements with several of the largest cosmetics-producing countries, including China (ChAFTA), Korea (KAFTA), Japan (JAEPA) and the United States (AUSFTA). If your goods meet the rules of origin under the relevant agreement, a preferential duty rate may apply in place of the general rate.
Preferential rates need the right origin documentation from your supplier. The ABF’s free trade agreement pages set out the rules for each agreement, and the ABF can give written advice on whether goods originate. Ask for it when you place the order.
GST on imported goods is 10% of the value of the taxable importation. According to the ATO’s guidance on GST and imported goods, that value is made up of the customs value of the goods, plus any customs duty, plus the cost of transporting and insuring them to Australia.
Eligible GST-registered importers may be able to defer GST on imports under the deferred GST scheme. For the duty side, see our guide to how duties are calculated.
Goods with a customs value of A$1,000 or less can be non-taxable importations at the border. Instead, the ATO’s rules for low value imported goods require overseas merchants, electronic distribution platforms and redeliverers to collect GST at the point of sale. If several low value items are shipped together as one consignment worth more than A$1,000, GST, duty and clearance charges are collected from the importer at the border instead.
Splitting a stock order into small parcels does not change your obligations under AICIS, the TGA rules or the ACCC labelling standard. Those apply to what you sell, not to how the goods arrived.
The ATO treats goods with a customs value at or below A$1,000 differently: they can be non-taxable importations at the border, with GST instead collected by the overseas seller in many cases. That threshold does not switch off the product rules. A low-value parcel of lipsticks still needs compliant ingredient labels before you sell them, and the chemicals inside are still industrial chemicals. If you sell online, our e-commerce logistics team can help you set up a parcel flow that keeps clearance predictable.
Most finished cosmetics are low biosecurity risk, but there are exceptions worth checking. Products containing animal-derived ingredients, plant material, soil, seeds or unrefined natural extracts may be subject to biosecurity conditions set by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and some may need an import permit. The department’s Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON) is where those conditions are published.
Wooden gift boxes, bamboo packaging and timber pallets can also attract biosecurity attention independently of what is inside. Ingredients sourced from protected plant or animal species can trigger wildlife trade permit requirements. And some cosmetic ingredients are scheduled under the Poisons Standard, which can add warning statements to your label.
If any of these apply, they need to be resolved before you ship, not at the wharf. You can search the ABF’s prohibited and restricted goods list for import controls that sit with other agencies.
Branded cosmetics bought from unauthorised sellers carry two risks. The first is that the goods are counterfeit. A fake cosmetic has an unknown formula, which means you cannot honestly list its ingredients or vouch for its safety, and goods that infringe a registered trade mark can be seized at the border.
The second risk is that genuine products made for another market may not meet Australian labelling, claims or ingredient rules. Parallel-imported stock is not automatically illegal, but it still has to comply. If a deal on well-known brands looks too good, treat it as a reason to check the supply chain, not a reason to move fast.
Both modes work for cosmetics. The right choice depends on order size, how soon the stock must be on the shelf, whether dangerous goods are involved, and how heat-sensitive the formulas are.
| Factor | Air freight | Sea freight |
| Best suited to | Launch stock, samples, replenishment of fast sellers, high-value small orders | Larger volumes, full ranges, regular replenishment |
| Dangerous goods | Tighter restrictions; some aerosols and flammable products face quantity and packing limits, and not every airline accepts them | Generally more options for declared dangerous goods, subject to the dangerous goods rules for sea transport |
| Heat exposure | Shorter time in transit, but watch tarmac and terminal time | Longer exposure, and container temperatures can climb on routes through the tropics |
| Charging basis | Chargeable weight, which depends on actual and volumetric weight | Volume or container, depending on whether you ship less than container load (LCL) or full container load (FCL) |
| Packing | Light, compact cartons favour air | Palletised, well-stacked cartons favour sea |
Heat is the factor importers forget. Emulsions can separate, balms can melt, and actives such as vitamin C can degrade in a hot container or a sun-exposed terminal. For sensitive lines, ask about insulated packing, temperature-controlled options or timing shipments away from the hottest months. Our guides to air freight vs sea freight and CBM and volumetric weight explain how each mode is charged.
There is no standard price for importing cosmetics into Australia, because every shipment combines a different mix of product value, volume, route and compliance work. Knowing what moves the number lets you ask the right questions when you request a quote.
| Cost component | What moves it |
| Product cost and Incoterm | Order volume, packaging specification, Australian label customisation, payment terms with your supplier. What your supplier’s price includes. Under FOB you pay freight from the origin port; under EXW you also pay origin pickup and export clearance. See what are Incoterms |
| International freight | Mode, chargeable weight or volume, origin and destination ports, carrier capacity at the time of booking, seasonal demand |
| Dangerous goods handling | Number and type of dangerous goods lines, packing and documentation requirements, carrier acceptance. Classification, special packaging, documentation and any carrier surcharges for declared dangerous goods |
| Temperature control | Reefer containers or temperature-controlled air if products are heat-sensitive |
| Customs duty | Tariff classification, customs value and whether a free trade agreement rate applies |
| GST | Customs value plus duty plus international transport and insurance, 10% of the value of the taxable importation, unless deferred under the scheme |
| Customs and biosecurity clearance | Number of tariff lines, whether permits or documentary assessment are needed, any inspection |
| Regulatory compliance | AICIS registration level, ingredient checks, regulatory advice, label redesign |
| Destination handling | Terminal and depot charges, delivery to your warehouse and any warehousing and fulfilment |
| Local logistics | Port or airport handling, storage, delivery to your warehouse, any relabelling |
| Insurance | Declared value, cover type and how the goods are packed |
The Incoterm you agree with your supplier decides who pays for which of these, so settle it before you sign. Our explainer on Incoterms covers the common options, and freight insurance is worth a look for higher-value ranges.
How long importing cosmetics into Australia takes depends more on preparation than on the ship or plane. The main drivers are:
Missing paperwork is the most common avoidable delay. Our article on document errors that cause customs delays lists the ones we see most.
Plan backwards from your launch date and build in a buffer for the first shipment from any new supplier. First shipments are where most surprises surface.
This is a hypothetical example to show the reasoning, not a real customer shipment.
An online skincare retailer in Melbourne is placing its first order with a manufacturer in Korea: a cleanser, a toner, a serum containing snail mucin, a moisturiser with SPF 15, and a facial mist in an aerosol can.
| Product | Question raised | What the importer does |
| All five products | Are all ingredients on the AICIS Inventory? | Obtains the full formula with CAS numbers and checks each ingredient |
| Toner | Is the alcohol content high enough to make it a flammable liquid? | Asks for the SDS; the forwarder confirms it is not regulated for transport |
| Snail mucin serum | Does an animal-derived ingredient trigger biosecurity conditions? | Checks the BICON cosmetics case before ordering and obtains any declaration it requires |
| Moisturiser with SPF 15 | Is this a secondary sunscreen that qualifies for exclusion from therapeutic goods rules? | Reviews the TGA sunscreen guidance and removes “prevents skin cancer” from the carton copy |
| Aerosol facial mist | Is it a dangerous good? | Yes, pressurised with a flammable propellant; the forwarder books it as declared dangerous goods |
The retailer registers with AICIS before the goods ship, sends approved labels to the factory, and requests KAFTA origin documentation so the broker can assess a preferential rate. Because the aerosol limits air options, the order moves by sea as an insulated, palletised LCL consignment, cleared by the customs and quarantine clearance team in Melbourne. Every issue here is cheap to fix at the sample stage and expensive to fix at the wharf.
| Document | Why you need it | Who usually provides it |
| Commercial invoice | Customs value, product descriptions, quantities | Supplier |
| Packing list | Carton contents, weights and dimensions | Supplier |
| Bill of lading or air waybill | Evidence of shipment and the contract of carriage | Carrier or freight forwarder |
| Safety data sheets (SDS) | Dangerous goods classification and safe handling | Supplier or manufacturer |
| Full ingredient lists with CAS numbers | AICIS categorisation and Poisons Standard checks | Supplier or manufacturer |
| Dangerous goods declaration | Required for regulated perfumes, aerosols and flammable products | Shipper, prepared with the forwarder |
| Certificate or declaration of origin | Supports a free trade agreement duty claim | Supplier or exporter |
| Biosecurity documents, where required | Evidence for BICON conditions, such as a manufacturer’s declaration or permit | Supplier, importer or broker |
| AICIS registration details | Your obligation as the introducer | Your business |
| Australian label artwork proof | Shows labels meet ACCC requirements before printing | Your business, approved by the supplier |
Knowing the rules is one thing; getting a mixed consignment with dangerous goods and biosecurity requirements classified, declared, packed and cleared correctly is another. That is where a licensed customs broker and an experienced freight forwarder earn their place.
At Omega Cargo, our licensed customs brokers handle customs and quarantine clearance through Fremantle, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, including duty and GST advice, landed cost calculations and pre-purchase advice before you buy. We move cosmetics by air freight and sea freight, and for online brands our e-commerce logistics and warehousing services cover what happens after the goods land.
We cannot hold your AICIS registration or make your TGA classification decision; those stay with your business, and complex formulas justify a regulatory consultant. Where we help most is making the freight and border side match the product rules you have settled.
There is no general import licence for cosmetics, but a business importing cosmetics to sell must register with AICIS before introducing them. Products making therapeutic claims fall under TGA rules and generally need ARTG inclusion, and some ingredients need permits or have Poisons Standard conditions. A licensed customs broker lodges the import declaration for commercial consignments.
Yes, in most cases. If your business imports skincare or cosmetics to sell in Australia, it must register with the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme before importing, because cosmetic ingredients are treated as industrial chemicals. Registration covers the business rather than each product, renews each registration year, and comes with an annual declaration due by 30 November.
No. Australia has no pre-market product registration or notification scheme for ordinary cosmetics. Instead, the importer carries the obligations directly: AICIS registration and ingredient categorisation, labelling under the ACCC’s mandatory standard, accurate claims under the Australian Consumer Law, and Poisons Standard compliance. Therapeutic goods, including primary sunscreens, are the exception and need ARTG inclusion.
Creams, lotions and other water-based cosmetics can generally be posted, subject to the usual customs rules. Flammable or pressurised products are different. Alcohol-based perfumes, nail polish and aerosols are dangerous goods in transport, and Australia Post lists flammable liquids such as nail polish and perfume among the items it restricts. These usually need declared dangerous goods freight instead.
A cosmetic cleanses, perfumes, protects or changes the appearance of the body. A therapeutic good is used to prevent, diagnose, treat or cure a disease or condition. The TGA decides which side a product sits on by looking at its claims, ingredients, how it is used and whether it is specifically excluded. Claims are the most common reason a skincare product becomes therapeutic.
It depends on the product’s main purpose. Primary sunscreens, where sun protection is the main purpose, are therapeutic goods and need to be in the ARTG. Many secondary sunscreens, such as moisturisers or make-up with an SPF, are excluded from therapeutic goods regulation and treated as cosmetics, provided they meet the exclusion conditions. Check the TGA’s sunscreen guidance before ordering.
Duty depends on the product’s tariff classification and where it was made. Most cosmetics fall under Chapter 33 of the customs tariff, where the ABF schedule lists a general rate of 5% for the main perfume, skincare and hair product subheadings. A free trade agreement, such as those with China, Korea, Japan or the United States, may reduce this if the goods meet the rules of origin.
GST on imported cosmetics is 10% of the value of the taxable importation. That value is the customs value of the goods, plus any customs duty, plus the cost of international transport and insurance to Australia. For low value goods of A$1,000 or less, GST is usually collected by the overseas seller or platform at the point of sale instead of at the border.
Usually, yes. Alcohol-based perfumes and colognes are flammable liquids in transport, typically shipped as Class 3 “Perfumery products” under UN1266. That means they must be classified, packed, marked and declared correctly, and some airlines, couriers and postal services will not accept them. Give your freight forwarder the safety data sheet so they can confirm the classification.
They can. Natural and organic ingredients are still industrial chemicals under AICIS, so registration and categorisation apply as usual. Products containing ingredients of animal, plant or microbial origin may also need checking against the cosmetics case in BICON, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s import conditions database, which can require declarations or permits.
Importing cosmetics into Australia gets far easier when the compliance work happens first, and the best time to do it is before you pay the deposit. Once you know your products are cosmetics, your registration is in place and your labels are right, the freight and customs side becomes a planning exercise instead of a problem to solve at the border.
If your products are classified, your AICIS registration is in place and your labels are approved, you have done the hard part of importing cosmetics into Australia. What remains is getting the freight and clearance right for your range.
Request a freight and customs quote and our team will look at your products, route and timing. To get an accurate answer quickly, have these ready:
If you are planning your first shipment or moving an existing range to a new supplier, talk to Omega Cargo. Send us your product list, carton details, supplier location and SDS for anything that may be a dangerous good, and our team will map out the freight and clearance plan for your shipment.
This guide is general information, not legal or regulatory advice. Cosmetic, chemical and import rules change, so confirm current requirements with AICIS, the TGA, the ACCC, the ABF and DAFF, or a licensed customs broker, before you import.
