HEAVY MACHINERY TRANSPORT - SHIPPING MACHINERY TO AUSTRALIA

The short answer is from the USA and Europe. However, this varies by the category of heavy machinery transport into Australia. By categories, we mean agricultural, construction and mining, or manufacturing. 

In terms of agricultural heavy machinery transport, more than 70% of imports come from the EU and USA. According to the Department of Agriculture, Australia imported a record $2.1 billion of agricultural machinery in 2021-22. Other supplier countries shipping machinery to Australia include Canada, China, and New Zealand. 

When it comes to manufacturing, construction, and mining machinery, places like Japan also have a role to play. Japan is especially a significant source of manufacturing machinery that is imported into Australia. South Korea and Malaysia are also alternative sources of shipping machinery to Australia. 

It must be said that Phoenix Shipping has the capabilities for heavy machinery transport across the world. Whether you’ve found a bargain that you want to be shipped into Australia or have a project in a remote location, we can help. Your heavy machinery transport project can be delivered to a number of ports across the country. From the port of Brisbane to Port Kembla, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Fremantle. 

Australia has a large industry and thus heavy machinery transport plays an important role in the supply chain and operations. Hiring an experienced freight forwarder can help you minimise all the red tape and hassle of shipping machinery to Australia.

The Australian government imposes duties and GST for the majority of goods and machinery imported into the country. In most cases when shipping machinery to Australia, you will have to pay the following: 

• Duty = 5% of machinery FOB value.
• GST = 10% of CIF value (Cost + Insurance + Freight)

The FOB value is the value of the machinery. This is converted into AUD at an exchange rate set by Australian Customs at the time of import. Regarding GST, the percentage is calculated on the cost of the machinery, insurance, and the cost of heavy machinery transport. 

It is important that you are aware of these costs before shipping machinery to Australia. You don’t want to be in a position where the import goes way beyond the budget due to hidden fees. Once payment has been received, the imported machinery can be released by Customs. 

Naturally, as the import duty is a percentage, it depends on a variety of factors and figures. To help you get an accurate idea about the overall costs of heavy machinery transport, contact Phoenix Shipping. We’ll work with you to make the shipment as cost-effective as possible.

Keep in mind, this is a general rule of thumb for the import taxes payable when shipping machinery to Australia. If you’re only seeking heavy machinery transport within Australia, you don’t need to pay these import taxes.

An international freight agent that specialises in heavy machinery transport should be your first step to importing heavy cargo. The technical know-how and established networks will likely equal huge savings when it comes to shipping machinery to Australia. Putting all the pieces of the heavy machinery transport puzzle together is much more difficult than first assumed. From scheduling to costs to subcontractors, and paperwork, there’s plenty to consider.

Next up is choosing your method of heavy machinery transport. For the import journey, you may either choose air freight in a cargo plane or shipping machinery to Australia. Air freight is going to be more expensive, however, it will be delivered to the final destination much quicker. On the other hand, shipping machinery to Australia takes longer at sea, but it is a much cheaper alternative.

It is highly likely that local trucking will be part of the heavy machinery transport process regardless of import method. Your cargo will be transported from its original location to a specialised facility ready to be loaded for export. At import, it will also arrive at an airport or seaport, ready to be trucked to the final destination. Trucks that are hired for heavy machinery transport are designed for such loads. Their trailers are either flatbed or lowboy and have the space necessary to carry odd-shaped and heavy loads.

When the cargo is too large, too heavy, or in a difficult position to be transported, that can complicate things. In such cases, dismantling and crating pieces may be the best option for heavy machinery transport into the country. An experienced freight agent can guide you through this process which can actually end up saving you a significant sum in transport costs.

Heavy machinery transport requires unique expertise in handling such large units across the world and state lines. From the documentation required to Customs clearance and local transport, a regular freight forwarder will find it difficult to handle. Phoenix Shipping has multiple years of experience shipping machinery to Australia of all shapes and sizes. 

Here is where we break down exactly what covers our range of heavy machinery transport: 

The Australian mining industry relies heavily on earthmoving heavy machinery transport that is imported into the country each year. This includes machinery such as excavators, dump trucks, wheel loaders, dozers, tower cranes, and more. We can manage the entire process of shipping machinery to Australia from A to B. 

Australian agriculture accounts for 55% of Australian land use and 11.6% of exports according to the Department of Agriculture. With agricultural production projected to keep growing in the future, farming machinery will continue to be in growing demand. Phoenix Shipping can manage heavy machinery transport including farming equipment like tractors, balers, plows, planters, sprayers, and more. 

Heavy machinery transport does not entail only machinery on wheels per se. Break bulk cargo refers to heavy equipment loaded into pieces (typically) on a RoRo ship for transport. This may include large steel columns needed for large engineering projects or reinforced concrete pipes. 

Australia’s defense budget for 2023-24 will reach 2.04% of GDP as per the Australian Defense Magazine. Heavy machinery transport from large military equipment-producing nations (such as the US or France) is required to meet defense demands. This may include equipment such as armored vehicles, planes and helicopters, ships and watercraft, artillery and weapons.

Whatever the type of machinery it is, Phoenix Shipping will assess the most cost-effective and appropriate way of transport. Shipping machinery to Australia is our specialty.

This is a difficult question to answer concisely because of the factors which can widely affect pricing. Dimensions, distance, and import or local locations all impact the cost of heavy machinery transport significantly. Therefore, pricing costs a few hundred dollars locally to thousands of dollars for long-haul or international shipping machinery to Australia.  

The size & weight are some of the key metrics in determining the cost of heavy machinery transport. Local trucking companies will have maximum capacity limits they need to abide by. Big oversized machinery such as large diggers for example may require a pilot support vehicle and specialised oversized moving trailers. On the other hand, international shipping machinery to Australia is usually priced per cubic metre. 

The distance traveled and pick-up and delivery logistics also play an important role in the cost of heavy machinery transport. A local Queensland move for a small excavator can be as low as $300 to $400. If there is restricted access or challenges to overcome during pick-up and delivery, that will increase costs. 

Interstate movements can increase costs not only because of distance but also by simply crossing state lines. This is largely due to higher tolls, and other road user taxes related to interstate heavy machinery transport. Therefore, bringing the average transport cost to over a thousand dollars.

International shipping machinery to Australia is more expensive than local heavy machinery transport, more often than not. That’s because there are many more parties involved which raises handling fees, and size plays a big role in costs. Another big factor is the import duties and GST that must be paid when importing and shipping machinery to Australia. Therefore the cost of import can be anywhere from a few thousand dollars to upwards of tens of thousands.