A practical 2026 guide for Melbourne retailers importing toys and games from China — covering AS/NZS ISO 8124 safety standards, button battery compliance, real landed costs in AUD, MOQs and supplier verification.
Last updated: 5 July 2026
In short: To import toys and games from China to Australia, the two things you cannot skip are toy safety compliance (AS/NZS ISO 8124 and Australia's mandatory button battery safety standard) and proper supplier verification. Get those right, budget for the full landed cost in AUD, and China remains one of the best-value places on earth to build a toy or games range — the category is huge, the factories are experienced, and the margins stack up fast once compliance is sorted.
China manufactures the vast majority of the world's toys, and Australian toy and games retail is a multi-billion dollar category that spikes hard every Christmas and school-holiday period. For Melbourne retailers and e-commerce brands riding that seasonal wave, sourcing direct from Chinese factories instead of a local wholesaler is where the real margin lives.
Epic Sourcing clients save around 77% on average versus their previous supply arrangements. On a toy or games range with healthy retail pricing, that gap is often the difference between a stocking-filler side hustle and a genuinely scalable product line.
Popular categories include plush and soft toys, building and construction sets, board games and puzzles, outdoor and ride-on toys, educational and STEM toys, dolls and action figures, and electronic and battery-operated toys. Most categories are straightforward to import once you understand the compliance rules.
The categories that need the most care are anything with small parts (choking hazard risk for under-3s), anything with a button or coin battery, and plush toys with natural fillings (which can trigger DAFF biosecurity attention).
This is the single biggest compliance trap for first-time toy importers. Toys sold in Australia must meet mandatory safety standards enforced by the ACCC, primarily based on AS/NZS ISO 8124 (covering mechanical/physical safety, flammability and toxicity of children's toys). Products with small parts must carry appropriate age warnings, and anything containing a button or coin battery must comply with Australia's mandatory button battery safety standard — introduced after a string of serious child injuries, and strictly enforced.
Under Australian Consumer Law, you are responsible for the safety of what you sell — not the factory. Specify the correct standard in your supplier agreement, request test reports from an accredited lab, and never accept "it's fine in other markets" as an answer, because AU-specific rules (especially button batteries) are stricter than in many other countries.
Your landed cost is the factory price plus freight, insurance, duty, GST, clearance and local delivery. Here's a simplified example for a shipment of building block sets landing in Melbourne.
Cost componentAmount (AUD)1,000 building block sets @ $4.20 FOB$4,200Sea freight (LCL, China → Melbourne)$980Marine insurance$75Import duty (5% of customs value)$210GST (10% of value + duty + freight)$546Customs brokerage + port fees$560Delivery to warehouse$240Total landed cost~$6,811Landed cost per set~$6.81
Against a typical Australian retail of $25–$45 per set, the margin holds up well even after marketing and platform fees. Figures are illustrative — duty depends on your HS code, and battery-operated or electronic toys carry extra compliance testing costs.
Start with research on Alibaba and 1688, then verify properly: business licence, export experience specifically into regulated markets (the EU and Australia have similar strictness), and existing toy safety test certificates. Order samples every time — see our guide to getting product samples from Chinese suppliers — and test them yourself for sharp edges, small parts and battery compartment security before you commit to a full order.
Because toy safety failures carry real injury risk and brand reputation damage, pre-shipment inspection isn't optional. Build third-party QC and safety testing into your supplier agreement from the very first order, not after something goes wrong.
Yes. Any toy sold in Australia must meet the mandatory standards enforced by the ACCC, based on AS/NZS ISO 8124, plus the mandatory button battery safety standard if the product uses one. This applies regardless of where the toy is made.
MOQs commonly range from 300 to 2,000 units per design, and are often higher for fully custom moulds or branded packaging. Many factories will negotiate on a first trial order or if you combine several SKUs from their existing catalogue.
Sea freight into Melbourne typically runs 20–32 days port to port, plus clearance. Around Christmas and Chinese New Year, book your slot early — capacity gets tight and freight rates spike.
Most plastic and electronic toys clear without issue. Plush toys with natural fillings (wool, feathers, some plant fibres) can trigger biosecurity conditions, so check before you order anything with a natural-material filling.
Yes. Many toy factories offer OEM/ODM services, including custom colours, packaging and mould modifications. Factor in higher MOQs and longer lead times for fully custom tooling.
Epic Sourcing has sourced over 20,000 products for 300+ happy Australian businesses, with bilingual teams on the ground in China and Vietnam and offices in five countries. We vet toy factories, enforce AS/NZS ISO 8124 and button battery testing, manage export packing and QC, and handle importing products from China to Australia end to end — so your toy or games range lands safe, compliant and ready for the shelf. If you're also weighing up other categories, our guides on importing kitchenware and homewares and importing activewear from Vietnam follow the same playbook. Once your container's on the water, our FCL vs LCL guide and HS code guide will help you plan the logistics side too. Want to source toys and games without the guesswork? Give us a bell and book a discovery call.
