Shipping from Australia to USA: The Ultimate Guide

This guide explores everything you need to know about shipping from Australia to the USA.

From shipping cost, type of shipping container, express shipping, air freight, labeling to ocean freight – you will find everything about shipping from Australia to the USA right here.

Keep reading to learn more.

Transit Time when Shipping from Australia to the USA

The transit time varies with the shipping method that you employ.

When shipping from Australia to the USA, you can use either air freight or sea freight.

Airfreight involves the use of planes, whereas sea freight is enabled by using ships.

Both these shipping methods are significant when you consider time and money.

When you use air freight, you benefit from faster shipping at a relatively higher cost.

Sea freight costs you much less while it takes a longer time to have received your shipment.

You can pay up to five times less when you use the sea option compared to air freight.

The lower costs in sea freight can be attributed to using a single container to carry multiple loads. You have your cargo bundled up with others whose destination is similar to yours.

However, you will wait longer to receive your shipment from Australia to the USA by sea.

Usually, you find this shipping approach can take several weeks, with some taking as much as six weeks.

The transit time using sea freight is also longer when there are several ports of call along the transit route.

Ports of call are ports between the ports of origin and destination where a ship makes a stop.

Here is a useful tool you can use to estimate transit time: Ports.com Sea Route.

When using air freight, a cargo plane is used to ferry your package or load it to an airport.

From here, your shipment is disbursed to your state of residence and eventually collection point.

A cargo flight from Australia will take about two days to reach the USA.

The transit time will increase by a couple of working days, depending on your state of residence and customs clearance.

Nevertheless, a transit time of between five to ten working days suffices when you ship using air freight.

If you have details of the cargo plane, you can use Flightradar24 to track the plane.

Benefits of Air Freight Shipping from Australia to USA

You typically employ Air freight when dealing with valuable cargo with low volume.

Due to the size limitations, you cannot use air freight for large valuable cargo such as industrial machinery.

You find the following advantages in employing air freight from Australia to the USA:

• You experience shorter transit times when using air freight compared to sea freight.

You have your transit time ranging from as low as three business days to ten business days using air freight.

On the other hand, you can wait up to forty-five days using sea freight to receive your cargo.

• You find the reliability of using air freight to be high in terms of departure and arrival times.

Airlines are known for working on a precise schedule due to the dynamic and intrinsic nature of airports.

Therefore, using air freight, when provided with an expected time of arrival for your load, you are assured of it.

• Using air freight is convenient, notwithstanding your location in the USA due to an elaborate air network.

While some states are landlocked without access to the sea, you have well-developed airports in each of them.

Consequently, when you use air freight, you receive your shipment from Australia at any USA location.

• Airfreight cost surpasses sea freight significantly; however, you incur lower insurance costs with the former.

You have the short transit time to thank for the low insurance cost as it takes only a few days.

• When you use air freight, you lower the chances of losing your cargo to theft or damage. The safety protocols installed in airports ensure your shipment is in good hands with reduced criminal element exposure.
• Employing air freight allows you to eliminate the need for using a warehouse and keeping a large stock.

The time taken for inspecting the cargo and clearing it is reduced, allowing for a quick transit time.

• When you employ air freight to the USA from Australia, you use minimal packaging for your shipment.

Consequently, you achieve some cost savings, unlike with sea freight that has many packaging requirements.

• You can follow your shipment status when you use air freight to the USA from Australia via provided web applications.

As such, you will know the location of your load at any given time in anticipation of its receipt.

• Airfreight from Australia to the USA is especially useful when your cargo consists of perishable goods.

Perishable goods are those whose condition and quality deteriorates over time out of environmental concern, such as flowers.

Limitations of Air Freight Shipping from Australia to the USA

While air freight has revolutionized transport and trade over the years, it is still subject to some limitations.

The following pointers highlight the unsuitability of using air freight from Australia to the USA.

Airfreight is Costly

When you use air freight from Australia to the USA, you incur high costs compared to sea freight.

Consequently, you find using air freight only suitable for high-value items with low volumes.

Limited Carrying Capacity

When using air freight for your shipment to the USA, you are limited in the capacity of goods you can carry.

Cargo planes have limited capacities in terms of load and volume compared to ships.

Consequently, you cannot carry very large and heavy cargo on planes when shipping from Australia to the USA.

High-risk Factor

There is an element of risk when using air freight across a distance such as Australia to the USA. A system failure in an airplane can result in a great loss when it happens.

While incidents are a rarity, when they do happen, it comes at great cost.

Dependent on Weather Conditions

Airfreight is subject to the prevailing weather conditions, which can result in a cancellation of a flight.

Weather conditions such as heavy rainfall or snow, dense fog, and cyclones can disrupt air transport.

When this happens, you wait for much longer to receive your shipment.

Main Air Ports in Australia

Australia’s airport infrastructure is highly developed, with many international airports from whence air freight companies operate.

You can disburse goods to the USA from the following Australian Airports.

• Sydney Airport in the city of Sydney in New South Wales.
• Melbourne Airport in Melbourne, Victoria.
• Adelaide Airport in Adelaide, South Australia.
• Perth Airport Perth in Western Australia.
• Brisbane Airport Brisbane in Queensland.

Main Air Ports in the USA

You will find many international airports in the USA across the fifty states. Some of the major airports you find used for air freight are:

• Memphis International Airport in Memphis, Tennessee
• Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Anchorage, Alaska
• Louisville International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky
• O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois
• Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California
• Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in Hebron, Kentucky
• Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in Irving, Texas
• Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in College Park, Georgia
• Indianapolis International Airport in Indianapolis, Indiana
• Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida

Sea Freight Shipping from Australia to USA

Sea freight is the shipment of cargo from one point to another across a water body.

When using sea freight, you load your cargo in containers or directly onto ships for transportation.

You use sea freight for the transfer of voluminous and bulky goods between Australia and the USA.

The various seaports in Australia and the USA allow for ships’ docking to load and unload cargo.

Sea Routes from Australia to the USA

A sea route is a path formed on water bodies by traversing ships connecting different seaports.

Sea routes help you to safely navigate the open waters when on a voyage to a destination port.

You note that some sea routes have ports of call, where the ship makes a stopover.

A stopover at a port of call allows you to refuel the vessel, offload cargo, or load more cargo.

Some of the major sea routes from Australia to the USA are:

• From the port of Sydney, Australia, to the port of Philadelphia on the American East Coast.
• From the port of Darwin, Australia, to the port of Houston, USA.
• From the port of Sydney, Australia, to the port of Oakland, California, on the American West Coast.
• From the port of Adelaide, Australia, to the port of Memphis, USA.
• From the port of Sydney, Australia, to the port of Vancouver, USA.

 Benefits of using Sea Freight from Australia to the USA

You derive many benefits from using sea freight when conducting shipping from Australia to the USA as follows:

Lower Freight Cost

When you use sea freight, you incur a lower cost in comparison to air freight.

You spend less on sea freight due to its large capacity allowing the carriage of several cargoes on a single haul.

Low Maintenance Cost

Maintaining a water vessel at sea is significantly lower than maintaining an airplane in the air.

Furthermore, given the value and volume of goods, you observe the cost is watered down to insignificant levels.

Convenient for Heavy Cargo

When shipping bulky cargo from Australia to the USA, sea freight offers you the most convenience.

Airplanes have a maximum payload of about a few hundred tons, whereas a ship can carry thousands of tons.

Furthermore, some loads are too large for airplanes to carry, such as heavy industrial machinery and equipment.

You easily move this type of cargo on ships given their large capacities and ability to accommodate voluminous cargo.

Environmentally Friendly

When using sea freight, you contribute to lower carbon emissions given the increased efficiency in combusting fuel.

Additionally, you carry cargo in bulk in a single haul compared to the multiple trips you’d take with other methods.

Increased Safety

When handling sensitive cargo that requires specialized packaging and containments, sea freight offers you the best shipping option.

The containers you use on the vessel are made to make a firm lock on the ship during loading.

Increased Efficiency

The efficiency of sea freight is a factor that makes you spend less on freight charges with this option.

You can package multiple cargoes in a single container, with a ship having the capacity to carry several containers.

Limitations of Sea Freight Shipping from Australia to USA

Using sea freight from Australia to the USA comes attached with several pros.

However, you encounter a few cons with this shipping approach:

It is a Slow Method

Using sea freight from Australia to the USA takes a long time running into several weeks.

Comparatively, air freight from Australia to the USA only takes a couple of days.

Therefore, you cannot use sea freight for highly perishable goods and items with short lead times.

Increased Risk

Sea freight is prone to attack by pirates and other insurgents lurking in the open sea.

While you put in place security measures, you incur a great loss when these measures are compromised.

Moreover, the extended lead time of sea freight between Australia and the USA can be subject to sudden weather changes.

Such changes can result in necessary delays or loss of cargo at sea at worst.

Inflexibility

When using sea freight from Australia to the USA, you are pinned to a fixed route and timetable.

Additionally, you cannot monitor the progress of your cargo through tracking.

Requires Secondary Transport

Sea freight from Australia to the USA delivers goods from one Australian port to an American port.

However, when you are located inland, you need road or rail networks to deliver your good.

Main Sea Ports in Australia

A seaport is a facility located on a sea coast where ships berth to load or unload cargo or passengers.

Australia is an island continent with a long coastline you find populated by well-developed seaports.

Some of the major seaports in Australia are as follows:

i. Port of Brisbane

The Port of Brisbane is the third busiest in Australia and largest in Queensland.

About three thousand ships move through this port annually, with cargo amounting to over twenty-eight million tons.

Furthermore, the Port of Brisbane has a high maritime security ranking at level one.

Additionally, you find the Port of Brisbane pits much focus on ecological and environmental awareness.

ii. Port of Sydney

The Port of Sydney was first constructed on the Sydney Harbor before being expanded to accommodate more vessels.

Consequently, the port extended to Botany Bay, which is why you also know it as the Port of Botany.

You find the Port of Sydney at number two on the list of the largest ports in Australia. Millions of tons of cargo and thousands of ship traffic through the Port of Sydney every year.

iii. Port of Fremantle

The Port of Fremantle is the busiest on the Western coast of Australia, with thousands of employees.

Every year, cargo totaling over 35 million tons is handled in this port, making it busy twenty-four hours a day.

iv. Port of Melbourne

The Port of Melbourne is of great importance to Australia, handling over two million total equivalent units of cargo annually.

Of all major ports in the southern hemisphere handling containers, the Port of Melbourne is the fourth largest.

v. Port of Hedland

The Port of Hedland is located in Western Australia and is the largest container port in the country.

Cargo amounting to over four hundred million tons is handled at this port annually.

You find modern technological aspects incorporated in this port in terms of handling cargo and determining weather conditions.

Also, the Port of Hedland has a high maritime security rating of level one.

vi. Port of Darwin

The Port of Darwin is privately owned by Landbridge, which is a Chinese company.

Cargo totaling over four million tons is handled annually in this port, most of it originating from or going to Asia.

vii. Port of Adelaide

The Port of Adelaide is situated in Southern Australia, where it is the largest and most important.

You find this port to have, mixed cargo amounting to over a hundred million tons annually.

viii. Port of Newcastle

Located in New South Wales, the Port of Newcastle is the largest on Australia’s east coast.

You find this port is suitably positioned along the Pacific sea routes with a cargo haul of over 160 million tons.

Main Sea Ports in the USA

The United States of America has a long coastline extending along both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

You find major ports along the East Coast, the West Coast, and the South coast that traffic thousands of ships annually.

Some of the major seaports in the USA are:

i. Port of Los Angeles

Located on the West Coast in California, the Port of Los Angeles is one of the USA’s largest.

It is constructed in the San Pedro Bay and handles most of the cargo off the American Pacific.

The Port of Los Angeles occupies a vast landmass exceeding 7000 acres with a waterfront over forty miles long.

Cargo handled in the Port of Los Angeles exceeds four million total equivalent units (TEUs) annually.

ii. Port of Long Beach

The Port of Long Beach is also in California, Western USA, and is one of the busiest in the Northern hemisphere.

The Port of Long Beach handles container cargo over four million TEUs every year.

iii. Port of New York and New Jersey

The Port of New York and New Jersey is the busiest on the Eastern seaboard of the USA.

It comes third nationally handling diverse cargo, including bulk and break-bulk.

The Port of New York and New Jersey serves one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world.

Over four and a half million TEUs are handled at this port annually.

iv. Port of Savannah

You find this port in Georgia along the Atlantic with a large count of import distribution points.

The Port of Savannah is also the largest facility with a single terminal for handling containers.

v. Port of Seattle-Tacoma

The Port of Seattle-Tacoma was born out of the Port of Seattle and the Port of Tacoma.

These ports are located in Washington State and handle cargo of over two million TEUs every year.

vi. Port of Virginia

The Port of Virginia is strategically located on the Eastern Coast with a short lead time before entering the open sea.

It is among the busiest with good access to railway infrastructure, allowing for cargo transfer via train.

vii. Port of Houston

The Port of Houston borders the Gulf coast and is located in Texas, south of the USA.

The Port of Houston extends over twenty miles and handles the most foreign cargo in the USA.

The Port of Houston’s location close to the Gulf of Mexico makes it a popular port of call.

The Port of Houston is fitted with modern cranes and technological systems to aid in handling containers.

viii. Port of Charleston

You find five task-specific terminals on the Port of Charleston in South Carolina.

The port handles both containers and motor vehicle cargo with an annual volume of over one million TEUs.

ix. Port of Oakland

The Port of Oakland is widely used for handling containerized cargo amounting to over a million and a half TEUs.

The Port of Oakland has three terminals dedicated to containers with easy access to railway infrastructure.

x. Port of Miami

The Port of Miami is located in Florida, Southern USA, to handle almost a million TEUs annually.

You find this port has a deep channel that can accommodate the largest marine vessels and equipment.

Types of Containers to use when Shipping from Australia to the USA

Shipping containers are the standard unit on which sea freight is built on allowing for the efficient movement of cargo.

You can use different containers for your shipping needs depending on the nature of your transporting goods.

Some of the containers you use for sea freight include:

Dry Van/Standard Shipping Containers

The dry van containers are metal boxes fabricated from aluminum or steel you use for boxed or palletized dry goods.

Standard containers are widely used and possess a strong build allowing you to load up to an eight-count stack.

You find these containers with standard dimensions usually 2.40 m wide and a height of 7 feet and 10 inches.

You have two container length options, with one at twenty feet and the other at forty feet.

The dry van container is watertight with the top, bottom, and all but one side fixed, making their mobility flexible.

A door is furnished on this side, allowing you to load and unload cargo easily.

Flat Rack Container

The flat rack container is a standard container without the top and a side wall pairing.

The other side wall pairing is collapsible, allowing you a flat rack design to hold wider cargo.

You use the flat rack container to ferry goods such as motor vehicles, boats, and voluminous equipment.

Platform Container

A platform container is a special container that only consists of a raised platform without a roof and sides.

You use this kind of container to transport cargo with height and width dimensions unsuitable for a standard container.

Tank Container

You find this container type consists of a tank furnished within it for the transportation of non-toxic fluids.

You can use varying capacities of these containers ranging from ten thousand to over twenty thousand liters.

You observe the construction of this container to involve materials impervious to corrosion and durable steel.

With these features, the tank offers an extended service life while ensuring the fluid cargo is safely handled.

Open Top Container

An open container has fixed sides except for the top part that is left open.

You instead use a cover made from canvas material, for instance, to shroud the cargo.

An open-top container makes the loading and unloading process of voluminous and irregularly shaped cargo easy.

You can easily employ a crane or crab on an open-top container by removing the cover.

Ventilated Container

A ventilated container is furnished with ventilation systems built in the container walls to regulate the internal container atmosphere.

You use these containers to avert moisture accumulation when transporting cargo susceptible to condensation levels without affecting space concerns.

Tunnel Container

With the tunnel container, you have the walls along the width removed to present a tunnel-like structure.

You find this design useful when you need quicker cargo loading and unloading.

Open Side Container

The open side containers have doors that allow you to get the sides wide open.

You find these containers useful in holding cargo in a wide configuration.

Double Doors Container

These container units are similar to standard containers but with two doors rather than one.

Having a double door design simplifies the loading and unloading process.

Refrigerated/ Reefer Containers

The refrigerated container has a cooling system that keeps the temperature within the container at low levels.

You use these containers to ferry cargo consisting of perishable items such as vegetables to preserve their freshness.

Insulated Containers

The insulated container is useful when you need to keep the loaded cargo at the desired temperature.

You can use bubble wrap for your cargo or dry ice to provide an insulating cover.

You typically employ this container type when transporting packaged foods or biochemical and pharmaceutical products sensitive to temperature changes.

Half-height Containers

Half-height containers are furnished similarly to the standard containers but half the height.

These containers are steel-based, allowing you to transport materials requiring an easy load and unload process such as coal.

Car Carriers

Car carriers are containers specifically designed for the transport of motor vehicles.

You can collapse the container walls to provide a suitable fit for the car without damaging them.

Intermediate Bulk Shift Containers

You use these containers for intermediate shipping, which involves delivery to a secondary destination for additional packing before eventual delivery.

You can transact in large material quantities with intermediate bulk shift containers.

Prohibited Goods when Shipping from Australia to USA

The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enforces other agencies’ laws for good entering the US.

Some of these agencies include the Food and Drug Agency, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

You note these agencies dictate what is to be allowed into the United States from Australia, for instance.

The CBP ensures goods that can negatively affect Americans’ health and well-being are not allowed.

Furthermore, substances that can interfere with the country’s flora and fauna are detained at the entry points.

Prohibited goods are those rendered illegal by the law of the land, and possessing amounts to a criminal offense.

Some of the items prohibited from shipping from Australia to the USA are:

• Drug paraphernalia that has not been prescribed.
• Endangered animal species and their derivative products such as tusks from the African elephant and white rhino.
• Vehicles with no safety features.
• Products containing fur from dogs or cats.

Restricted Imports to the USA from Australia

You sometimes have goods or products that seem safe for use but with the potential to cause harm.

These products are restricted by the Customs and Border Protection Agencies of Australia and the USA to regulate their entry/exit.

A restricted good isn’t necessarily harmful but requires you to have a unique permit from a relevant authority to ship it.

You can ship a restricted good from Australia to the USA if given the appropriate authority’s the green light.

Some of the items restricted when shipping from Australia to the USA are:

Select Motor Vehicles

Motor vehicles that do not meet the emission standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

You will need an exemption certificate from EPA to allow your vehicle entry into the USA from Australia.

Biological Substances

Biological substances such as culture and specimen intended for use in research or medicinal purpose are restricted.

However, a permit from the agricultural department or center for Disease Control and Prevention allows you to ship your item.

Firearms and Ammunitions

The ATF restricts shipping firearms from Australia to the USA, a bureau overseeing Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. You can, however, ship a firearm through a licensed dealer.

Fish and Wildlife

Some fish and animals, including their products and by-products, are subjected to restrictions preventing their import from Australia to the USA.

You need permits from responsible departments such as the Fish and Wildlife Service to exempt you from the restrictions.

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are restricted to prevent an outbreak of pests and diseases, resulting in colossal losses.

The Department of Agriculture places restrictions on these depending on the place of origin, which determines its makeup.

Trademarked and Copyrighted Items

Restrictions are put in place for articles that impinge on copyrights and registered trademarks.

Such items can bear cunning similarity to genuine items or even employ gray market trademark use.

However, an exemption is set for such items when kept for personal use and not intended for commercial purposes.

You can, however, ship genuine items with registered trademarks and copyrights.

​​​​​​​Dangerous Goods Shipping from Australia to USA

Dangerous goods are articles that can prove harmful, requiring you to package them before shipping from Australia to the USA especially.

By specially packaging these items, you present them in a safer state for shipping purposes.

There are many dangerous goods such as lithium batteries, which you find in many modern electronic devices.

Lithium batteries are used in mobile phones, laptops, calculators, cameras, and remotely controlled vehicles.

Other dangerous goods include.

• Explosive articles such as fireworks.
• Flammable and inflammable compounds such as aerosols, compressed oxygen, paints, and matches.
• Corrosive substances and elements can combust spontaneously, such as phosphorus.
• Toxic compounds and those that oxidize easily like pesticides and fertilizer.
• Radioactive material such as smoke detectors.

When shipping dangerous goods from Australia to the USA, you need to ensure the following:

• You have to declare you have dangerous goods indicating what it is.
• You need to package the dangerous goods in compliance with IATA’s Dangerous Goods Regulations.
• Correctly and clearly label the dangerous goods.
• Provide the required documentation indication the state of origin, in this case, Australia, to the destination, USA.

Courier Services to use when Shipping from Australia to USA

Courier services are entities that ensure your item is safely shipped from the point of purchase to your location.

When shipping from Australia to the USA, there are many courier services you can consider.

Australia Post

The Australia Post is a government-owned entity that offers postal services within and outside Australia.

You can use Australia Post to send your shipment to the USA, where it will transfer to a domestic partner.

Sendle

Sendle is an Australian B registered corporation that prides itself as a total carbon neutral delivery service.

When you ship a package t