How much does it cost to import a Chinese EV to Australia?
Australia is one of the friendliest developed markets for Chinese EV imports. Here's the exact cost breakdown and process.
Duty, tax, LCT
ChAFTA (China–Australia FTA): 0% import duty on OEM-channel vehicles.
GST: 10% of (customs value + duty + freight + insurance). Applies to all vehicles.
Luxury Car Tax: 33% of the value above AUD 91,387 (2026 threshold, EV higher tier). A AUD 100,000 EV attracts LCT on the AUD 8,613 excess only.
Shipping and compliance
RoRo shipping Shanghai → Sydney: AUD 1,800–2,500 per unit. Container: AUD 3,500–4,500 (used for high-value units).
ADR compliance: OEM channel cars are already ADR-compliant. Personal imports require expensive engineer certification and are rarely economic.
Practical routes to buy
OEM channels active in AU: BYD, MG, GWM Ora, LDV, Chery, Zeekr (from 2026). Xiaomi, NIO, Xpeng not yet on-sale.
Grey/parallel imports are legal via RAWS scheme for a small list of eligible models — mostly older Nissan Leafs and Tesla, not new Chinese EVs.
- 01OEM route: 0% duty, 10% GST, potential LCT.
- 02Parallel import: rarely economic vs OEM channel.
- 03Broadest Chinese EV OEM lineup outside Europe.
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