It's the end of May. EOFY is 30 days away. And if you haven't already placed your orders, I'll be straight with you — you're cutting it very fine.

But here's the thing: "cutting it fine" isn't the same as "too late." Depending on what you're importing, where it's coming from, and how you ship it, there's still a window. A narrow one. But a window.

This guide is the practical playbook for Australian importers trying to get stock on shelves before June 30. I'll cover current lead times from China and Vietnam, what's still achievable, where the cut-offs are, and what to do if you've already missed them.

Why EOFY Matters for Australian Importers

End of financial year creates a concentrated demand spike unlike any other period in the Australian retail and B2B calendar. Businesses are spending down budgets, making capital equipment purchases, restocking ahead of the new financial year, and trying to hit procurement targets before June 30.

For importers, this creates two intersecting pressures:

1. Your customers need stock — if you're supplying retail, wholesale, or B2B clients, their EOFY purchasing decisions are happening now, and if you don't have inventory, they'll find a supplier who does.
2. Your own tax position — stock purchased (and received) before June 30 may be deductible in the current financial year, depending on your circumstances. Talk to your accountant, but this is a real factor for many importers.

The challenge is that manufacturing and shipping timelines don't care about your financial year. A factory in Guangzhou doesn't know it's EOFY in Australia. So the question is always: what's actually achievable from where we are right now?

Current Lead Times: China and Vietnam (May/June 2026)

Here's the honest picture as of late May 2026.

China Manufacturing Lead Times

For standard, in-production products (not custom development), factory lead times in China are currently sitting at:

• Simple, off-the-shelf products: 7–14 days production
• Light customisation (colour, logo, minor modifications): 14–21 days production
• Moderate customisation: 21–35 days production
• Full custom or new tooling: 45–90+ days — this is not an EOFY option

These figures assume the factory is available and not at capacity — which, at this time of year, is not guaranteed. June is a moderate-demand period in China, but capacity varies significantly by category.

Vietnam Manufacturing Lead Times

Vietnam lead times in comparable categories run slightly longer than China, typically:

• Standard products: 14–21 days production
• Light customisation: 21–28 days
• Moderate customisation: 28–45 days

Vietnam is generally not the right choice for EOFY emergency sourcing unless you already have an established factory relationship with confirmed capacity.

Shipping: The Variable That Breaks EOFY Plans

Manufacturing lead time is only half the equation. You also need to get the goods from factory floor to your warehouse or customer before June 30. Here's what shipping timelines look like right now:

Air Freight: China to Australia

• Transit time: 3–5 business days door-to-door
• Cost: Roughly $6–10 AUD per kilogram, depending on volume and route
• Best for: High-value, low-weight goods where the freight premium is justified by EOFY urgency
• Cut-off: Production needs to be complete by approximately June 20–22 to land before June 30

Sea Freight (LCL — Less than Container Load): China to Australia

• Transit time: 18–25 days port-to-port + approximately 5–7 days customs, wharf, and delivery
• Total door-to-door: 25–32 days from factory handover
• Cut-off for EOFY: Production complete and goods handed to freight forwarder by approximately May 28–31

If you're reading this and it's already June 1 or later, sea freight is off the table for EOFY delivery unless you have goods already in transit.

Sea Freight (FCL — Full Container Load): China to Australia

• Transit time: 14–18 days port-to-port for major routes (Shanghai/Guangzhou to Sydney/Melbourne)
• Total door-to-door: 20–28 days
• Cut-off for EOFY: Similar to LCL — goods need to depart China no later than approximately June 2–3 to clear customs and deliver before June 30

The EOFY 2026 Decision Tree

Here's how to think about your situation right now, depending on where you are in the process:

Scenario 1: Order Placed, Goods in Production

You're in the best position. Check your production completion date and get your freight forwarder booked immediately. If production completes before June 15, air freight gives you a comfortable window. If production completes June 16–20, you'll need air freight and it will be tight. If production completes after June 20, June 30 delivery is unlikely — plan for early July.

Scenario 2: Order Not Yet Placed, Existing Supplier Relationship

Contact your factory today. Not tomorrow — today. Ask directly: what's your current production availability, what's the fastest lead time for my product, and what's the latest I can place an order and still hit a June 25 ship date? Get a written confirmation of lead time. If the numbers work, place the order immediately. If they don't, don't waste time — move to planning for post-EOFY.

Scenario 3: Need to Source a New Supplier

For new supplier sourcing with a June 30 hard deadline, the honest answer is: it's very tight and depends heavily on the product. New supplier onboarding adds time for verification, negotiation, and sample approval that typically can't be compressed below 1–2 weeks. Add that to production and shipping and you're likely looking at a mid-to-late July arrival at best.

If you have a genuine EOFY need and no existing supplier, the most practical path is to engage a sourcing agent immediately with that constraint clearly stated — so they can tell you quickly whether it's achievable or whether you should reframe your timeline.

Scenario 4: Goods Already Shipped, In Transit

Track your shipment and confirm your customs broker has all documentation in order. Delays at the border are the main risk at this stage. Make sure your import declaration, duty payments, and delivery logistics are lined up so the moment goods clear customs, they move.

What to Do If You've Missed the EOFY Window

If the numbers don't work for a June 30 arrival, the best move is to stop trying to force it and start planning for a strong Q1 FY27 instead. Here's what that looks like:

• Lock in your orders now for a July arrival. Production queues fill up and by mid-June, factory availability for July delivery starts tightening.
• Use the time to do it properly. If you've been sourcing reactively, this is the moment to get a proper supplier relationship established with a verified manufacturer, correct specifications, and a QC process in place.
• Talk to your accountant about whether the EOFY deduction actually matters for your situation. For many businesses, the tax benefit of rushing stock in by June 30 is smaller than the cost premium of air freight and expedited manufacturing.

Working With a Sourcing Agent for EOFY: What to Ask

If you're engaging a sourcing agent to help manage an EOFY order, be direct about your constraints from the first conversation. A good sourcing agent will tell you quickly what's achievable and what isn't — and won't waste your time on a timeline that can't work.

Questions to ask upfront:

• Given today's date and my product requirements, what's the realistic earliest arrival date in Australia?
• What's the latest I can place a production order and still use sea freight?
• If sea freight is off the table, what does air freight add to my landed cost?
• Do you have existing factory relationships in my product category with confirmed capacity right now?

At Epic Sourcing, we're used to having this conversation. We'll give you a straight answer on what's possible and help you make the best decision given your actual constraints — not the ones you wish you had.

Final Word: Don't Let EOFY Pressure Lead to Bad Sourcing Decisions

The biggest mistake we see in EOFY sourcing is businesses making poor supplier decisions under time pressure — skipping verification, skipping sampling, taking a factory's word for a lead time that then blows out. The rush to hit June 30 ends up creating problems that take months to sort out.

If you can hit EOFY with your existing supply chain — great. If you can't, a clean July arrival from a properly managed order is worth far more than a rushed June delivery with quality problems.

Plan for what's actually achievable. Your supply chain will thank you.

Need Help Working Out If EOFY Is Still On the Table?

Book a quick call with the Epic Sourcing team — we'll look at your product, your timeline, and your existing relationships and give you a straight answer on what's achievable before June 30.

1800 00 EPIC | gday@epicsourcing.com.au

Also useful: How Much Does a Sourcing Agent Cost in Australia? | Epic Sourcing Pricing

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