Hello all, I will explain more. I want to buy motorcycle products in China to sell in Oz.....but the problem I have is China and HK sellers are going to beat me to a pulp on profit if I buy the products and send them to Oz then have to pay import duty + tax and wharf fees before I can resell them. I already import container loads of other products and I know the costs.

So I am wondering if anyone here can advise me if it is feasible to import the products into the Thailand duty free zone and then distribute them from here. Most of the sales will be online as individual products or 2 or 3 items in a parcel.

I (my GF) can't afford a license to operate our own duty free business in the duty free zone (plus all the red tape) and I don't want to do it out of the Philippines.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Why do you need to go to the duty free zone?

If you're thinking about first importing the goods into Thailand in order for re-export to Australia under the terms of the Australia-Thai FTA (TAFTA) or even the Aus-NZ-ASEAN FTA then that's not going to work as there are minimum local content requirements. Since the products would have 0% Thai content being from China, they wouldn't be eligible for duty free import into Australia.

the australians are going to charge customs either way id imagine ,its hit and miss with thai customs

but if they get a chance to extort some money from a farang most of them would jump at it

have you considered paying the guy in china to drop ship the items directly to the end user in oz ?

that would save leaving you profits in the hands of thai customs ...........

I assume that you're a registered company in Thailand as you say you import/export container loads. If that is the case you not need bonded-warehousing for motorcycle (automotive) products from China. Thailand and China have a free-trade-agreement.

Tomtomtom69 is right that you cannot send the products to Australia under the Thai-Australian FTA. But, I know some companies that import motorcycle chains from China, manufacture a nice looking retail package in Thailand which include a one-time-use lubrication and export this a Thai products, adding the retail package and lubrication is just enough percentage to make the product a Thai product.

Thanks for the replies folks.

All very helpful.