How trade agreements cut textile duties into Australia

China: ChAFTA

Under the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, Australian tariffs on goods from China were fully eliminated by 1 January 2019. To claim the free rate, the goods must meet the agreement's rules of origin and you need a valid certificate of origin.

India: AI-ECTA

Under the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement, all Australian tariffs on goods from India have now been eliminated. As with ChAFTA, the goods must meet the rules of origin and be supported by origin documentation.

Bangladesh: duty-free access

Goods from Bangladesh currently enter Australia duty-free under Australia's arrangements for least developed countries. Bangladesh is due to graduate from least developed country status on 24 November 2026, and Australia has said it will keep duty-free access in place after graduation.

Pakistan: general rates

Goods from Pakistan are assessed at Australia's general tariff rates. For textiles these are usually duty-free or 5%, depending on the classification. For many towel and linen orders the 5% duty is small next to Pakistan's price advantage in terry and cotton.

Rules of origin in plain English

Rules of origin decide whether a product counts as made in the partner country. For textiles they usually depend on where the fabric was made and where the garment was cut and sewn. A towel woven and finished in India from Indian or partner-country yarn will usually qualify; a garment only packed in a country usually will not. Your broker checks the specific rule for each tariff line.

Documents you need

• A certificate of origin or origin declaration as required by the agreement.
• A commercial invoice that matches the origin documents.
• Records you can produce if the Australian Border Force asks you to verify the claim.

We make sure mills supply the right origin documents with every shipment, so you can claim the preferential rate.