Finance question
Can I get finance to cover import duty and freight?
Often yes. Import duty, the GST payable at the border and the freight, customs and forwarder charges can all be funded so a container clears without tying up your cash. It is usually raised against property equity at single-digit rates or against plant you already own.
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The short answer
Get the goods out of customs, not stuck in it
The bill to import does not stop at the supplier. When a shipment reaches Australia there is duty on the goods, GST payable at the border, and freight, customs brokerage and forwarder fees all due before the container is released. For a business that has already paid the factory, this second wave of landed costs often arrives at the worst possible time, with the stock so close yet locked up at the port.
Financing the landed costs keeps things moving. A facility can cover the duty, the border GST and the freight and clearance charges so the container is released on time, then repay as the stock sells. Secured against property equity it prices in single digits, and secured against owned plant or equipment it is low-doc and can settle quickly across 40-plus lenders, which matters when demurrage starts adding up on a container left sitting.
It is worth remembering the GST on imports is generally recoverable through your BAS, but you still have to fund it up front to clear the goods, and that timing gap is exactly what this covers. We size the facility to the actual duty, GST and freight on the shipment and to your sell-through, so the container clears and the funding unwinds as the goods turn into sales.
Do you qualify?
What makes a landed-cost facility fundable.
A shipment at the border
Goods with duty, GST and freight due to clear.
Broker and duty figures
The customs and forwarder charges to be funded.
Equity or assets
Property equity or owned plant to secure it.
A sell-through plan
How the cleared stock repays the facility.
Why funding landed costs pays off
No demurrage
The container clears on time instead of racking up port charges.
Cash stays free
Working capital is not swallowed by duty and freight at the worst moment.
Secured pricing
Property-backed funding lands at single-digit rates, not unsecured pricing.
A real example
An electronics importer has a container held at the wharf with about $38,000 in duty, border GST and freight owing before it releases, and demurrage building each day. A facility secured against equity funds the landed costs, the goods clear, and it repays as the stock sells through the following weeks. Illustrative only.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Can duty, GST and freight all be financed?
Often yes. A facility can cover the duty, border GST and freight and clearance charges so the container is released on time.
Is the import GST not claimable anyway?
It is generally recoverable through your BAS, but you still have to fund it up front to clear the goods, which is the gap this covers.
Can this happen fast enough to avoid demurrage?
Asset-backed facilities can move in 24 to 48 hours, which is usually quick enough to release a container before charges mount.
How is it secured?
Usually against property equity at single-digit rates, or against plant and equipment you already own.