How to Import Jewellery from India to Australia (2026): Duty, GST and Paperwork

The duty rate is the easy part. The certificate of origin is where brands quietly lose 5%. To import jewellery from India to Australia, as of October 2026, you pay 0% duty under the India-Australia ECTA if the pieces qualify as Indian originating (5% otherwise), plus 10% GST. Consignments of A$1,000 or less pay no duty or GST at the border.

Above A$1,000 you lodge an import declaration, and the 0% rate only applies if you hold that certificate.

I run my own fine-jewellery brands as well as Grandior, and Australia is one of the friendliest markets for Indian-made jewellery. What trips brands up is the paperwork, so here it is in the order your broker will ask for it.

What duty applies when you import jewellery from India to Australia?

None, if the jewellery qualifies as Indian originating. The general rate for jewellery of precious metal (heading 7113) is 5%, in the ABF's Schedule 3, chapter 71. The Act that put the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) into Australian law sets the rate for Indian originating goods at Free, unless the goods are on a phase-down list. Jewellery under 7113 isn't on that list.

ECTA came into force on 29 December 2022, so this isn't a short-term deal you have to rush to use. The rate is settled. The only question on each shipment is whether you can prove origin.

What proof of origin do you need?

Above A$1,000, a certificate of origin, in hand when the goods are imported. The ABF's ECTA rules of origin guide sets out what it must contain. An authorised issuing body in India issues it, on application by the exporter or producer.

The certificate must:

• Be in English, on paper or electronic.
• State that the goods are originating and meet the agreement's rules.
• Carry a unique certificate number from the issuing body.
• Be valid for 12 months from the date it is issued.

India issues these through its Common Digital Platform for certificates of origin. When you claim the preference, your declaration quotes the ECTA scheme code. Keep the certificate and your supporting records for 5 years from import.

The goods also have to meet a product rule. For silver jewellery (7113.11), the ABF guide gives the rule as a change of tariff subheading plus at least 1.5% qualifying value content. Get your supplier to confirm each design meets the rule before you claim the 0% rate.

No certificate is needed when the total customs value of the originating goods is A$1,000 or less, as long as shipments aren't split to get around the rules. Australian Trusted Traders also have the certificate requirement waived, but must still keep evidence of origin.

How does GST work on jewellery imports?

GST is 10%. Above A$1,000 it's charged at the border on the value of the taxable importation, which the ABF defines as customs value plus duty, plus transport and insurance to Australia.

Customs value is the price of the goods without freight and insurance from the place of export, according to the ATO. Whether you run the brand as a sole trader or a company, if you're registered for GST you can usually claim the import GST back as a credit. It still comes out of your cash flow until you lodge your next BAS.

What happens to imports of A$1,000 or less?

Consignments with a customs value of A$1,000 or less pay no customs duty or GST at the border. That covers most samples and plenty of single customer orders.

GST can still turn up at the checkout. Since 1 July 2018, overseas sellers registered for Australian GST charge it on low value goods sold to consumers. A business buyer registered for GST should give its ABN and say it's registered, and then GST shouldn't be charged. If it's charged anyway, the ATO says to ask the supplier for a refund, quoting your ABN.

Several low value items sent together in one consignment worth more than A$1,000 are treated as one import, and duty and GST are collected at the border.

What changes above A$1,000?

Above A$1,000 the consignment needs an import declaration, and duty, GST and charges are paid before release. The importer or a licensed customs broker lodges it. The ABF won't complete it for you.

You also pay the import processing charge: A$50 for consignments from A$1,000 to under A$10,000, and A$152 for A$10,000 or more, lodged electronically, as of October 2026. Your broker adds their own fee, which varies.

Worked example: a A$5,000 order

Maths only, on a hypothetical A$5,000 order of finished jewellery made in India. The A$120 for transport and insurance is an assumption too.

With a certificate, a GST-registered importer can usually claim the A$512 back, so the real landed cost at the border is the A$50 charge plus the broker's fee. Without one, the A$250 of duty is money gone on every order like this.

How does Australia compare with the US?

Australia is the cheaper market for Indian-made fine jewellery. The US charges duty on every parcel, from the first dollar. Australia charges no duty on originating goods, and nothing at all at the border up to A$1,000.

The US side is covered in our guide to import duty from India to the US.

How do you describe lab-grown diamonds under Australian Consumer Law?

As lab-grown, every time. The ACCC says businesses must not make false or misleading claims, and intent doesn't matter. Claims must be accurate and you must be able to back them up.

That covers what a stone is and where a piece is made. Two rules:

• Name the stone. Write "lab-grown diamond" in titles, descriptions, ads and on certificates. Never let a buyer assume it's mined. Moissanite is a different stone and is never called a diamond.
• Get origin right. The ACCC says false or misleading country of origin claims are illegal. Jewellery made in India isn't "Australian made", even if you designed it in Sydney.

How do samples and orders from Grandior handle this?

Our sample checkout shows "Import duties and taxes" as a separate line for Australia, prepaid (DDP), so there's nothing more to pay when the parcel arrives. Samples start from $259 USD per piece. For production, who acts as importer and who pays the GST are agreed with each brand before the first order.

Pieces are made one at a time, with no minimum order, and dispatched within 7 days of confirmation. Custom and personalised work can take longer, and timelines are confirmed per order. Browse ready designs in the lookbook or start a custom design. Setting up a new brand? Read how to start a jewellery business in Australia.

Next step

Order one sample in the metal you plan to sell, see the duty and tax line before you pay, and check the finish in your hand. If you're planning a full collection for Australia, book a call and we'll work through landed cost in AUD.