Lighting products commonly imported into Australia include:

• LED lamps
• Ceiling lights
• Table lamps
• Floor lamps
• Downlights
• Outdoor lighting
• Commercial lighting

However, importing lighting involves more than purchasing goods and arranging freight.

Businesses may need to consider:

• Tariff classification
• Customs duty
• GST
• RCM
• Electrical safety
• GEMS
• Trade descriptions
• Biosecurity
• Packaging
• Freight

Compliance should ideally be reviewed before production and shipment.

How Is Lighting Classified?

Imported goods must be classified under Australia's customs tariff.

Many luminaires and lighting fittings fall under:

Heading 9405.

However, there is no single tariff code for all lighting.

Current Australian classifications include examples such as:

• 9405.11.00 — Certain ceiling or wall luminaires designed solely for LED light sources
• 9405.21.00 — Certain LED table, desk, bedside or floor-standing luminaires
• 9405.31.00 — LED lighting strings for Christmas trees
• 9405.42.00 — Other electric luminaires designed solely for LED light sources

Other lighting can fall outside Chapter 94.

Examples include:

• 8512.10.00 — Certain bicycle lighting or signalling equipment
• 8513.10.00 — Portable electric lamps operating from their own source of energy

Classification therefore depends on the actual product.

Why Do Old HS Codes Need Checking?

HS classifications change over time.

Older classifications such as:

9405.20.00

have been subdivided under the current tariff into codes including:

9405.21.00

and:

9405.29.00.

Businesses importing products regularly should therefore check that historical tariff codes remain current.

Is Lighting Always Subject to 5% Duty?

No.

Many lighting products under Heading 9405 have a general Australian customs duty rate of:

5%.

However, some tariff items are already:

Free.

Other preferential rates may also apply under free trade agreements.

The duty calculation should therefore be based on the exact tariff item, origin and applicable concession.

What About Lighting Imported from China?

Qualifying Chinese-origin goods may be eligible for preferential treatment under:

ChAFTA — China-Australia Free Trade Agreement.

Eligibility depends on factors including:

• Tariff classification
• Rules of Origin
• Product Specific Rules
• Origin documentation

Simply shipping a product from China does not automatically establish FTA eligibility.

How Is Import GST Calculated?

GST on taxable importations is generally:

10%.

The Value of the Taxable Importation can include:

• Customs value
• Customs duty
• International transport
• International insurance
• WET where applicable

Freight costs should therefore be included when planning the total landed cost.

Electrical Compliance Is Separate from Customs

Customs clearance does not automatically mean an electrical product can legally be supplied in the Australian market.

Electrical lighting may also need to comply with:

EESS

and:

RCM — Regulatory Compliance Mark

requirements.

What Is a Responsible Supplier?

An Australian or New Zealand business that first supplies in-scope electrical equipment may be considered a:

Responsible Supplier.

Depending on the applicable EESS requirements, obligations may include:

• Responsible Supplier registration
• Electrical safety compliance
• Compliance evidence
• Equipment registration where required
• Correct use of the RCM

The appropriate requirements depend on the product and its risk level.

What Is the RCM?

The:

Regulatory Compliance Mark

is used for relevant electrical and electronic equipment supplied in Australia.

Applying an RCM logo is not simply a factory labelling exercise.

Businesses need to establish the appropriate:

• Responsible Supplier
• Applicable standards
• Test evidence
• Certificates
• Risk level
• Registration requirements

before applying the mark.

What Are Level 1, 2 and 3 Electrical Products?

EESS uses different risk levels.

Level 1 generally applies to lower-risk in-scope equipment.

Level 2 equipment has additional compliance-folder and registration requirements.

Level 3 equipment generally requires more formal certification, including a Certificate of Conformity.

The correct classification depends on the specific equipment.

Not every lighting product has the same compliance pathway.

New GEMS Requirements for LED Lamps

An important change took effect on:

3 March 2026.

LED lamps covered by the:

Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (LED Lamps) Determination 2025

must comply with requirements including:

• Minimum Energy Performance Standards — MEPS
• Technical requirements
• Labelling or packaging requirements
• GEMS model registration

In-scope products cannot legally be supplied in Australia without meeting the applicable requirements unless relevant grandfathering provisions apply.

Is GEMS the Same as RCM?

No.

RCM and EESS primarily relate to electrical compliance and safety requirements.

GEMS relates to:

Energy Efficiency

and regulated product performance requirements.

An LED product may therefore need to consider both:

• RCM / EESS
• GEMS

Compliance with one does not automatically satisfy the other.

Trade Description Requirements

Certain imported electrical appliances, apparatus and accessories are subject to Australian trade-description requirements.

Where applicable, trade descriptions generally need to be:

• In English
• Prominent and legible
• Marked with the country of manufacture
• Accompanied by a true description where required

Importers should review the Commerce (Trade Descriptions) requirements for the specific goods.

How Should Lighting Be Packed?

Lighting products may contain:

• Glass
• Shades
• Light sources
• Metal frames
• Electronic drivers

Common transport risks include:

• Breakage
• Scratching
• Deformation
• Internal movement

Suitable packing may include:

• Corrugated cartons
• Foam or EPE protection
• Corner protection
• Individual inner boxes
• Palletisation
• Wooden crates for high-value or oversized fittings

What About Timber Packaging?

Solid-timber pallets, crates and dunnage imported into Australia are subject to biosecurity requirements.

Compliant:

ISPM 15

packaging is commonly accepted.

Non-compliant solid timber may be directed for:

• Treatment
• Export
• Destruction

Processed products such as plywood and particle board may be treated differently under BICON.

Does Lighting Require BMSB Treatment?

Not automatically.

For the 2026–27 BMSB season, ordinary Chapter 94 lighting is not part of the main mandatory-treatment tariff list.

Some Chapter 94 goods may be subject to random inspection under specific emerging-risk pathways, and mixed consignments containing target-risk goods may be affected.

Actual requirements should be checked according to:

• Tariff classification
• Origin
• Export country
• Season
• Other cargo in the consignment

Which Import Documents Are Commonly Required?

Documentation may include:

• Commercial Invoice
• Packing List
• Bill of Lading / Air Waybill
• Packing Declaration where applicable
• Origin documentation for FTA claims
• Permits where applicable
• Electrical compliance records
• RCM / EESS documentation
• GEMS registration information where required
• Biosecurity treatment certificates where actually applicable

Requirements vary according to the product.

What Should a Commercial Invoice Include?

Useful information includes:

• Seller
• Buyer
• Product description
• Model
• Quantity
• Unit price
• Total value
• Currency
• Incoterm
• Country of origin

Avoid vague descriptions such as:

“Lighting”

where a more accurate description can be provided.

Packing List Requirements

A packing list should commonly include:

• Number of cartons
• Number of pieces
• Net weight
• Gross weight
• Dimensions
• CBM
• Pallets
• Packaging type

Separate model information can make customs clearance and warehouse handling easier.

What Is a Packing Declaration?

For Australian sea freight, a Packing Declaration may be required in relation to non-commodity biosecurity risks.

It can provide information about materials such as:

• Timber packaging
• Straw
• Bark
• Other biosecurity-risk materials

It does not certify that the electrical lighting itself complies with Australian electrical regulations.

When Is Origin Documentation Needed?

Businesses claiming an FTA tariff preference should confirm the relevant origin requirements before shipment.

For China-Australia trade, this means reviewing:

• ChAFTA Rules of Origin
• Product-specific rules
• Required origin documentation

Origin eligibility is best confirmed during the purchasing stage rather than after cargo arrives.

Restricted Mercury Lighting

Australia restricts or prohibits a range of mercury-added products.

High-pressure mercury vapour lamps used for general lighting purposes have been subject to import, export and manufacture prohibition since:

7 March 2022.

Additional phase-outs also apply to specified:

• CFLs
• Linear fluorescent lamps
• Non-linear fluorescent lamps

with different deadlines extending through 2027.

Importers of traditional mercury-containing lighting should therefore check the current rules before ordering.

Incandescent Lamp Restrictions

Certain general-lighting incandescent lamps are also subject to Australian import restrictions.

Where a lamp falls within the defined prohibited-import category, the required permission must be obtained before importation.

Sea Freight or Air Freight?

Lighting can be relatively bulky compared with its weight.

For commercial imports, common options include:

• LCL for smaller shipments
• FCL for larger inventories
• Air freight for samples or urgent replenishment

Because lighting often occupies substantial space, CBM and volumetric weight should be considered carefully when comparing freight options.

What Should Be Checked Before Importing Lighting?

Before placing the final production order, review:

• Product type
• Tariff classification
• Country of origin
• Duty and FTA eligibility
• Electrical safety standards
• EESS risk level
• Responsible Supplier requirements
• RCM
• GEMS registration
• Mercury or incandescent restrictions
• Trade description
• Packaging
• ISPM 15
• BICON / biosecurity

Compliance should ideally be addressed before the goods leave the factory.

Chinz Logistics China-to-Australia Lighting Freight

Chinz Logistics provides China-to-Australia freight services for lighting, furniture and other commercial products, including:

• China to Australia sea freight
• China to Australia air freight
• LCL shipping
• FCL shipping
• China collection and warehousing
• Multi-supplier consolidation
• Export customs support
• Australian import clearance coordination
• Biosecurity-related logistics coordination
• Lighting and furniture freight
• Container cartage
• Australian local delivery

If you are preparing to import lighting from China to Australia, provide:

Product description + photos/specifications + LED/non-LED + voltage/wattage + quantity + packed dimensions/weight + total CBM + cargo value + Chinese origin city + Australian suburb/postcode

to help assess the appropriate freight and import preparation.