Australia · ABF charges

ABF import processing charge calculator

Price the border charges before the quote leaves your desk.

Pick the declaration type, lodgement and consignment value to get the ABF import processing charge and the biosecurity charge, from the tables on the ABF page last updated 13 August 2026.

Last updated 2026-09-28. Math runs in your browser, no data leaves your computer.

Most commercial imports go in as an import declaration (N10), lodged electronically by the customs broker. Pick a warehouse declaration only when the goods are entering a licensed customs warehouse, and the N30 type when they are being cleared out of one.

The N30 type pays one flat amount at any value, while N10 and N20 follow the value bands in the ABF table.

Ask your broker how the declaration goes in, because a documentary lodgement costs more than an electronic one in every band.

Enter the value in Australian dollars, and check it against the AUD 1,000 and AUD 10,000 band edges, since one dollar across a line changes the charge.

The channel does not change the processing charge, but it sets the biosecurity charge on an import declaration over AUD 1,000.

Before the booking, screen the name on the invoice. Shipment pre-check is on the paid plans, from USD 59 a month.

General guidance only. Verify against the cited primary sources before you commit to a shipment, declaration, or contract.

The ABF charge tables, as published

These are the amounts on the ABF import processing charge page, last updated 13 August 2026 and read for this tool on 28 September 2026. The same amounts apply to sea, air and post.

Declaration Lodgement Consignment value Charge
N10 and N20ElectronicAUD 1,000 or lessAUD 0.00
N10 and N20ElectronicOver AUD 1,000, under AUD 10,000AUD 50.00
N10 and N20ElectronicAUD 10,000 or moreAUD 152.00
N10 and N20DocumentaryOver AUD 1,000, under AUD 10,000AUD 90.00
N10 and N20DocumentaryAUD 10,000 or moreAUD 192.00
N30ElectronicAllAUD 23.00
N30DocumentaryAllAUD 63.00

The biosecurity cost recovery charge sits on the same ABF page. Under ACN 2026/23, from 1 July 2026 a full import declaration over AUD 1,000 pays AUD 48 by air and AUD 71 by sea, up from AUD 46 and AUD 68. The notice names full import declarations only, so the calculator adds it to N10 and not to N20 or N30; ask your broker if a warehouse entry of yours draws it.

The structure dates from ACN 2015/44, which set these bands from 1 January 2016 and removed the old gap between air, sea and post prices. Check the ABF page again before a large quote, since the charge is set by the Government and can move.

Worked example. A consignment that crossed the AUD 10,000 line

The booking. A Brisbane distributor air freights a carton of pump parts with an invoice value of AUD 9,600 and quotes its own customer on an electronic N10 at AUD 50, plus the AUD 48 air biosecurity charge. The border cost on the quote is AUD 98, which looks fine on paper.

The failure. The distributor had also supplied the factory with moulds worth AUD 900 for the job, and the ABF valuation rules in section 154 of the Customs Act 1901 count those production assists in the customs value. The declared value becomes AUD 10,500, the processing charge jumps to AUD 152, and the distributor either absorbs the extra AUD 102 or goes back to the customer to reprice.

The fix. Enter AUD 10,500 on an electronic N10 by air, and the calculator returns AUD 152 plus AUD 48, a total of AUD 200. That figure goes on the next quote from the start, and the declaration is lodged at the right value with nothing to amend later.

Need the GST and duty on the same consignment as well? The import tax Australia calculator builds the value of the taxable importation and adds these charges to the cash due at clearance.

Frequently asked

What is the import processing charge in Australia?

It is the fee the Australian Border Force charges when you make a declaration for imported goods. The amount depends on the declaration type, whether it is lodged electronically or on paper, and the consignment value, as set out in the table on the ABF import processing charge page (last updated 13 August 2026).

Does the charge change between sea, air and post?

No, the import processing charge is the same for all three cargo channels. ACN 2015/44 removed the price difference between air, sea and post from 1 January 2016. The biosecurity cost recovery charge is the one that differs, at AUD 48 for air and AUD 71 for sea.

Is there a charge on imports under AUD 1,000?

An electronic import or warehouse declaration at or below AUD 1,000 carries a charge of AUD 0.00 in the ABF table, and the biosecurity charge only applies over AUD 1,000. The table has no documentary row at or below AUD 1,000, so the calculator does not price one.

What is the biosecurity charge on an import declaration?

The ABF collects it for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry on full import declarations. ACN 2026/23 raised it to AUD 48 for air and AUD 71 for sea from 1 July 2026, for consignments with a customs value over AUD 1,000.

Who does not pay the import processing charge?

The ABF page says goods imported under a Status of Forces Agreement are exempt, with the detail in ACN 2023/36. Every other declaration pays the amount in the table for its type, lodgement and value band.

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Sourzi shows what official files say. It is not customs or legal advice. For a binding answer, ask a licensed customs broker, a CBP ruling or an Australian Border Force Tariff Advice.

File dates and links are on Data sources.