A commercial kitchen fit-out can cost half as much if you import it properly — and cost you the venue if you don't. This guide covers what catering equipment is worth importing from China, the electrical, gas, WaterMark and food-contact certifications your gear actually needs, a worked landed-cost breakdown for a full fit-out, and how to vet a factory before you pay. Localised for Canberra and the ACT hospitality market.
Last updated: 3 September 2026
In short: Australian venues can typically fit out a commercial kitchen for 40–50% less by importing directly from China rather than buying through a local catering equipment supplier. The saving is real, but it only survives if you get certification right first. Electrical gear needs to meet Australian electrical safety and EMC rules and carry the RCM mark, gas appliances need Australian gas certification, plumbed equipment needs WaterMark, and food-contact surfaces need the right stainless grade. Sort that at the quoting stage and a fit-out that quotes at $140,000 locally can land and commission for under $80,000.
Here's the uncomfortable truth about the Australian catering equipment market: a lot of what sits in a local supplier's showroom came off the same production lines in Guangdong, Zhejiang and Shandong as the gear you could buy direct. It just picked up two or three margins on the way through. For a cafe that's annoying. For a 120-seat restaurant fit-out, it's the difference between opening with working capital and opening in debt.
Canberra makes a good case study. The ACT has one of the highest hospitality densities per capita in the country, a steady stream of government and corporate catering work, and venues that turn over fit-outs regularly. It also has no port — everything arrives via Sydney and trucks down the Hume, which is a cost line most people forget to budget. Let's get into how to do this properly.
Price is the obvious answer. A six-burner gas range with an oven that retails for $6,500 through an Australian distributor often has an FOB factory price closer to $1,400. Even after freight, duty, certification and installation, the gap stays enormous.
But the second reason matters just as much: specification control. When you buy off a local showroom floor, you take what's in the catalogue. When you buy direct, you specify bench heights, stainless grade, GN pan configurations, castor types, splashback dimensions and door swing to suit your actual kitchen layout. For venues working in tight or oddly shaped spaces — which describes most inner-Canberra sites — that's worth as much as the price saving.
The third reason is lead time control. Custom stainless fabrication from a Chinese factory typically runs 25–40 days production plus 25–35 days ocean freight. That's slower than buying stock locally, but it's predictable, and you can plan a fit-out around it.
Some categories are outstanding value. Others carry so much certification or service risk that you're better off buying locally.
Combi ovens, blast chillers and commercial dishwashers are all made well in China, but they're service-intensive and highly regulated. If you can't get spare parts and a technician who'll work on the unit in your city, a cheap combi becomes very expensive the first time it faults during service. Ask about parts availability before you ask about price.
This is the section that separates a good import from a disaster. Australia does not have a single "catering equipment approval" — it has several separate regimes, and your gear may need more than one.
Any electrical appliance sold or installed in Australia must meet the relevant Australian electrical safety standards and electromagnetic compatibility requirements, and carry the Regulatory Compliance Mark. In-scope items also need to be registered by a responsible supplier in the national database. A factory saying "we have CE" is not the same thing — CE is a European mark and does not satisfy Australian requirements. Our guide on what RCM certification actually involves explains the process in plain English.
Every gas appliance installed in Australia — ranges, ovens, chargrills, fryers, woks, salamanders — must be certified to the relevant Australian gas standard and carry an approval. This is not negotiable and it is not something a gas fitter can wave through on site. An uncertified gas appliance will not be connected by a licensed fitter, will void your insurance, and can fail a council or landlord inspection. Confirm certification exists, in writing, with a certificate number, before the deposit leaves your account.
Anything connected to the potable water supply — dishwashers, combi ovens with water connections, ice machines, boiling water units, some sinks and tapware — generally needs WaterMark certification to be legally installed. Plumbers won't connect non-certified equipment, and for good reason.
Specify your stainless grade explicitly. Grade 304 is the standard for food-contact and wet areas; 430 is cheaper, magnetic, and corrodes in a commercial kitchen environment. Many quotes silently assume 430 unless you say otherwise. Also specify gauge — 0.8mm versus 1.2mm on a bench top is the difference between a surface that holds up for a decade and one that dents in a month.
Australian commercial kitchens run 240V single phase and 415V three phase. Chinese factories often default to 220V single phase and Chinese plug types, and their "three phase" spec may not match Australian configurations. Confirm voltage, frequency (50Hz), phase, amperage and plug type on every electrical line item. A 20A appliance on a 10A circuit is a fit-out delay you don't need.
Here's an indicative breakdown for a mid-size restaurant fit-out shipped in one 40ft high-cube container from Shanghai to Sydney, then trucked to Canberra. Figures are illustrative for 2026.
| Cost item | Amount (AUD) |
|---|---|
| FOB factory price (mixed fit-out, 1 x 40ft HC) | $58,000 |
| Sea freight Shanghai to Sydney | $4,200 |
| Marine cargo insurance | $700 |
| Customs duty (5% general rate) | $2,900 |
| Customs broker, port, wharf and quarantine fees | $1,600 |
| Road freight Sydney to Canberra | $1,900 |
| Certification and compliance testing | $4,500 |
| Install, commissioning and gas fitter sign-off | $3,800 |
| Total landed and installed | $77,600 |
The equivalent fit-out quoted through Australian catering equipment suppliers typically lands between $135,000 and $150,000. Note also that the $2,900 duty line frequently drops to zero under the China–Australia Free Trade Agreement when your supplier issues a valid Certificate of Origin — make that a condition of the order. GST applies at 10% but is recoverable if you're registered.
Certification is the line most people underestimate. Budget it properly at the start rather than discovering it after the container lands.
A factory that already ships certified gas and electrical equipment into Australia has done the hard part. Ask for the certificate numbers and check they match the model you're buying — certification is model-specific, not factory-wide.
Stainless grade and gauge, voltage and phase, gas type (natural gas or LPG), GN configuration, dimensions in millimetres, castor or leg type, door swing, certification requirements, packaging and crate dimensions. A vague enquiry gets you a vague price on a product you didn't want. Our guide to writing a proper RFQ covers the full checklist.
Stainless fabrication faults — weld quality, edge finishing, panel alignment, door seal fit — are obvious in person and invisible in photos. A pre-shipment inspection against your approved sample and spec sheet is cheap insurance on a $58,000 order.
Negotiate a spare parts pack into the first order: door seals, thermostats, gas valves, hinges, castors, fan motors. Get the parts catalogue with model numbers. Confirm which local technicians will service the brand.
Yes. There's no restriction on importing commercial catering equipment. The obligations sit on compliance: electrical equipment must meet Australian electrical safety and EMC requirements and carry the RCM mark, gas appliances must hold Australian gas certification, and plumbed equipment generally needs WaterMark. As the importer, you're the responsible supplier for those obligations.
Technically sometimes, practically it's a nightmare. Testing a landed unit is slower and more expensive than certifying at the factory, and uncertified gas or electrical gear can't legally be installed in the meantime — so your venue sits idle. Always confirm certification before production.
Lower than most people expect. Many stainless fabricators will run a mixed order of benches, sinks and shelving with no formal MOQ, because it's made to your drawings anyway. Refrigeration and cooking equipment usually carry per-model minimums, often 5–20 units, though a full fit-out order across multiple models can be negotiated.
Budget 4–6 months end to end: 2–4 weeks for quoting and drawings, 2–4 weeks for sampling or drawing approval, 25–40 days production, 25–35 days ocean freight, then customs, delivery and installation. Certification runs in parallel but can add weeks if it hasn't been done before.
Only if you have a clear service and parts path locally. These are the two pieces of equipment most likely to stop service when they fault. Many venues import their stainless, refrigeration and cooking line, and buy the combi and dishwasher locally with a service contract. That hybrid approach captures most of the saving without the operational risk.
Epic Sourcing has sourced more than 20,000 products for over 300 clients, with average savings of around 77%, and we have bilingual teams on the ground in China and Vietnam plus offices in five countries. On hospitality fit-outs we shortlist and audit factories that already export certified equipment to Australia, write the electrical, gas, WaterMark and stainless specs into the quoting brief, manage drawing approvals and pre-shipment inspection, and coordinate freight and delivery into Canberra or wherever your venue sits.
Start with our overview of importing products from China to Australia, then read the related guides on sourcing coffee and cafe equipment and bar and hospitality glassware. If you're importing in a different category, our new guide to importing 4WD and caravan accessories applies the same compliance-first method.
Planning a fit-out this year? Give us a bell and we'll price it against your drawings.
