Funding your first import order: what to know before the first container

What does a first import order really involve?

Most first-time importers start with a product and a price from a supplier. That price is the beginning of the cost, not the end. Between the factory and your shelf there are several more payments, at least two government charges and a handful of people — forwarder, broker, carrier — each with their own invoice.

It’s worth mapping the whole journey on paper before you commit. The stages, roughly in order:

1. Samples and negotiation — confirm the product, specification and packaging.
2. Pro-forma invoice and deposit — the supplier issues a pro-forma and you pay the agreed deposit.
3. Production — often several weeks; a good time to arrange freight and a broker.
4. Inspection and balance — check the goods, then pay the balance.
5. Shipping — your forwarder books the freight; Incoterms decide who pays what.
6. Import declaration and clearance — your broker lodges the declaration; duty, GST and charges are paid.
7. Delivery, unpacking and selling — then waiting for customers to pay.

Which costs surprise first-time importers?

Cost	Why it surprises
Import GST	It’s 10% of goods plus duty plus freight and insurance — not just the invoice
Customs duty	Depends on tariff classification and origin; can be higher or lower than expected
Local port and terminal charges	Several separate line items, often invoiced by the forwarder
Exchange-rate movement	The deposit and balance are paid at different rates
Storage	If you can’t clear or collect the goods promptly
Unpacking and cartage	Getting a container from the port into your premises

business.gov.au lists GST, duty, import processing charges, transport, insurance and storage, brokerage, biosecurity and clearance fees, and dumping and countervailing duties among the costs importers can face. Our page on how to calculate landed cost turns that list into a formula.

Do I need a customs broker?

For commercial imports, it’s usually wise. business.gov.au notes that most goods up to $1,000 can come in without a formal import declaration, but goods above that need more. A licensed customs broker classifies your goods, calculates duty and GST, lodges the declaration and deals with any holds. The ABF publishes a list of licensed brokerages. See customs broker fees for what they do and how they charge.

How do new importers fund the first order?

There’s no special product for a first container. The funding depends on the business behind it:

• An established local business moving into importing — bank statements and turnover can support an unsecured or line-of-credit facility, typically $5,000 to $500,000.
• A newer business with property — property-secured loans from $20,000 to $5,000,000 can make a first order possible where trading history is short.
• A brand-new venture with neither — often best started smaller, with owner funds, until there’s a track record.

If you’re not sure which camp you’re in, a short enquiry gets you a straight answer from a real person — with no credit check to ask.

How can I lower the risk of a first order?

• Start smaller. A part-container (LCL) shipment costs more per unit in freight but ties up far less cash.
• Confirm duty before you order. Ask a broker to classify the goods so there’s no surprise at the border.
• Choose Incoterms you understand. FOB is common for importers who want control of freight; see Incoterms for importers.
• Inspect before the balance. An independent inspection is cheap insurance on a first order.
• Price on landed cost. Use a conservative exchange rate and include every cost in your unit price.
• Pre-sell where possible. Orders or deposits from your own customers shorten the funding gap.

Illustrative example

Illustrative only. A café-equipment retailer that has always bought through a local distributor decides to import its own range of grinders. The supplier quotes $36,000 for the first order with 40% deposit, as a new customer. With freight, insurance, duty, import GST, broker and delivery, the cash out before sales is closer to $46,000, and the landed cost per unit is well above the factory price the owner first priced from. The owner re-prices the range, funds the gap with a modest facility sized on the existing shop’s turnover, and negotiates a smaller deposit for the second order once the first one arrives on time.

Our container landed-cost walkthrough follows a full example step by step.

What paperwork should I keep from the first import?

Good records from the first shipment make every later one easier — and make a lender’s job simpler when you ask for a bigger facility. Keep a folder for each order with:

• the pro-forma and final commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading or air waybill
• proof of each payment to the supplier, with the date and exchange rate you actually got
• your broker’s entry summary showing the tariff classification, duty and GST paid
• freight, insurance, port and delivery invoices
• a one-page landed-cost summary: total cost, units and cost per unit

Your accountant needs the entry summary to claim the import GST credit, and you’ll use the landed-cost summary to price your next order. After two or three orders, that folder becomes a track record — evidence that you order sensibly, clear goods cleanly and sell through on time.

Start your first order on solid ground

If you’re weighing up a first import order, tell us about it here — even before you’ve paid the deposit. There’s no credit check involved in asking, and we don’t hand your details to a crowd of lenders. A real person will call to go through the numbers, the timing and what’s realistic. Accurate answers on the form — especially the order value and your trading history — help us point you the right way first time.