Desde 29 December 2022, garments made in India have entered Australia at 0% duty under the Australia–India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), against Australia’s general rate of 5% on most clothing. One detail catches importers out: Australia accepts only a certificate of origin for ECTA. There is no self-declaration route. This guide covers the rate, the certificate, the shipments that need none, and what it saves. Checked against Australian Border Force sources on 7 Outubro 2026.
The rate
| Vestuário (made in India) | Australia’s general rate | With ECTA certificate |
|---|---|---|
| vestidos, tecidos ou tricotados | 5% | 0% |
| kaftans (dress or robe cut) | 5% | 0% |
| Saias, tecido | 5% | 0% |
| Saias, tricotado | Free for every country | 0%; no certificate needed for the rate |
| Scarves and shawls, tecidos ou tricotados | Free for every country | 0%; no certificate needed for the rate |
Australian Customs Notice 2022/52 makes Indian-origin goods Free unless they are listed in Schedule 10A, and no garment line is listed. Australia already charges 0% to every country on scarves, shawls and knitted skirts, so ECTA adds nothing there.
The certificate of origin
- Obrigatório: an ECTA certificate of origin issued by the issuing agency in India. A statement on the invoice is not enough for Australia.
- Origin rule for garments: a change of tariff subheading plus a minimum qualifying value content. Garments cut and sewn in India from fabric meet the first test; the value test depends on the cost of imported inputs.
- Shipments of AUD 1,000 or less do not need a certificate. Shipments at or below that value are also duty- and GST-free under Australia’s low-value threshold.
What it saves on a shipment
Take cotton dresses invoiced at AUD 10,000, with AUD 600 freight and AUD 50 seguro. Australian duty is charged on the FOB valor: freight and insurance are left out of the duty base, but they are added back for GST.
| Without certificate | With ECTA certificate | |
|---|---|---|
| Valor aduaneiro (FOB) | AUD 10,000.00 | AUD 10,000.00 |
| Customs duty | 5% = AUD 500.00 | 0% = AUD 0.00 |
| ICMS, 10% do (valor + duty + frete + seguro) | AUD 1,115.00 | AUD 1,065.00 |
The duty saving is AUD 500. GST is recoverable by a GST-registered importer, and with the deferred GST scheme nothing is paid at the border. An import processing charge also applies above AUD 1,000; it is not shown here.
Check your own garment
- Import duty on dresses from India to Australia, with a calculator
- kaftans · Saias · Lenços
We manufacture and export garments from India and obtain the ECTA certificate of origin for every qualifying shipment. Talk to us about the Australian market.
Sources
- Australian Border Force: Austrália–India ECTA
- Australian Border Force: Customs Notice 2022/52, ECTA tariff treatment
- Australian Border Force: ECTA rules of origin guide
- Australian Border Force: Working Tariff, Schedule 3; GST and other taxes on imported goods
- ATO: Deferred GST scheme
Indicative information from official Australian sources, written 7 Outubro 2026. Rates verified on against the official tariffs. It is not a customs ruling; confirm with your customs broker before you rely on it.
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