Food is the most regulated category to import. This 2026 guide covers DAFF biosecurity and BICON permits, the Imported Food Inspection Scheme, FSANZ and country-of-origin labelling, and a worked landed-cost example for a Brisbane importer.
Last updated: 30 June 2026
In short: Importing food and beverage products from China to Australia is legal and can be very profitable, but it's the most heavily regulated category there is. Before anything lands in Brisbane, you must satisfy DAFF biosecurity rules (often a BICON import permit), meet the Imported Food Inspection Scheme, and comply with FSANZ food standards and country-of-origin labelling. Nail the compliance and the food category offers strong, repeatable margins; ignore it and your shipment gets held, treated, re-exported or destroyed at the border.
Yes — food and beverage products are imported from China into Australia every day, from packaged snacks and sauces to tea, dried goods and beverages. But food is treated very differently from general merchandise. Two systems govern it: biosecurity (managed by DAFF, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) and food safety (the Imported Food Inspection Scheme, plus FSANZ standards).
For a Brisbane importer, that means your product has to clear biosecurity AND meet food-safety standards before it can be sold. These are separate hurdles, and a product can pass one while failing the other. Understanding both before you order is the single biggest thing that separates a smooth import from an expensive lesson.
Often, yes. Many food products require an import permit, and the way to check is BICON — DAFF's online biosecurity import conditions database. You search your specific product and BICON tells you whether a permit is needed, what treatments or documentation apply, and any conditions on country of origin.
Some shelf-stable, low-risk products have straightforward conditions; others (anything with dairy, egg, meat content, or fresh plant material) face strict requirements or may be prohibited. The mistake to avoid is ordering a container first and checking BICON second. Always confirm the import conditions for your exact product before you pay a deposit.
The Imported Food Inspection Scheme (IFIS) is how DAFF checks that imported food meets Australian food-safety standards. Food is categorised as either "risk" food or "surveillance" food, which determines how often it's inspected and tested at the border. Risk foods are inspected more frequently and held until they pass.
For your first few shipments, expect a higher inspection rate. A consistent compliance history can reduce inspection frequency over time. Building that clean track record — correct labelling, accurate documentation, products that test within limits — is what turns food importing from stressful into systematic.
Food sold in Australia must meet FSANZ labelling requirements: an accurate ingredient list, allergen declarations, nutrition information panel, and date marking, all in English. On top of that, most food carries mandatory country-of-origin labelling — the bar-chart-and-percentage label that tells shoppers where the food was made and grown.
The practical implication for a China import is that you can't just ship the factory's existing packaging. Labels usually need to be redesigned for the Australian market, and getting the factory to print compliant labelling from the start is far cheaper than re-labelling stock in a Brisbane warehouse.
Beyond the goods and freight, food carries extra cost lines that general merchandise doesn't: import permit fees, inspection and testing charges, and possible treatment costs. GST of 10% applies, and many basic foods are GST-free at retail but the import-stage rules still need checking. Duty varies by product and HS code — our Australian import duty guide explains how it's worked out.
Here's an illustrative landed-cost example for a Brisbane importer bringing in 2,000 cartons of packaged tea:
Cost componentAmount (AUD)Goods value (2,000 cartons @ $3 FOB)$6,000Sea freight + insurance to Brisbane$1,600Duty (assume free under applicable tariff)$0GST (10% on goods + freight + duty)$760BICON permit + IFIS inspection/testing (one-off + per-shipment)$900Compliant label redesign + print (one-off, amortised)$700Landed cost$9,960 (~$4.98/carton)
The compliance lines look like overhead, but they're what protect the whole shipment. A held or destroyed container costs far more than doing the paperwork properly.
Food suppliers must be vetted harder than any other category. Verify the business licence and food-production credentials, ask about their export experience to Australia specifically, and insist on samples you can have independently tested against Australian limits before committing. Confirm they can produce the documentation IFIS will want to see — the same red flags we cover in how to find verified Alibaba suppliers apply doubly to food.
This is where Epic Sourcing's bilingual team on the ground in China makes the difference — we audit the factory, confirm food-safety capability, and manage sampling and testing so problems surface in China, not at the Brisbane border. We've sourced over 20,000 products for 300+ happy clients with around 77% average savings, and food is a category where getting it right the first time matters most. New to all this? Start with what a sourcing agent is.
Not all, but many do. The only reliable way to know is to look up your exact product in DAFF's BICON database before ordering. It tells you whether a permit is required and what conditions apply.
Imported food is checked under the Imported Food Inspection Scheme. Risk foods and first-time shipments are inspected more often. A consistent compliance history can lower your inspection rate over time.
Usually not. Australian food labelling (FSANZ requirements plus country-of-origin labelling) must be in English and meet specific content rules, so packaging generally needs to be adapted for the Australian market before sale.
Anything containing dairy, egg, meat, or fresh plant material faces the strictest biosecurity conditions and may be restricted or prohibited. Shelf-stable, low-risk packaged goods are typically the most straightforward.
Yes. We help verify the factory, manage sampling and independent testing, coordinate compliant labelling, and guide the documentation side — so DAFF, IFIS and FSANZ requirements are handled before your goods ship.
Food and beverage is the most regulated category to import — and the one where a sourcing partner pays for itself fastest. With bilingual teams on the ground in China and Vietnam and offices in five countries, Epic Sourcing handles factory vetting, sampling, testing and compliant labelling so your shipment clears Brisbane the first time — see our service for importing products from China to Australia. Sourcing tech instead? Our guide to importing electronics from China to Australia tackles RCM and EESS compliance. Ready to source smarter? Give us a bell and book a discovery call.
