5489.0 - International Merchandise Trade, Australia: Concepts, Sources and Methods, 2015  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 11/11/2015   
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VALUE THRESHOLDS FOR CUSTOMS DECLARATIONS

2.6 In principle, the scope of international merchandise trade statistics is not limited to goods which are the subject of a commercial transaction, but is intended to cover all goods which add to or subtract from Australia's stock of material resources. In practice, however, coverage is limited to those goods which pass the customs frontier and for which a full customs declaration is required.

2.7 For goods that do not require a permit, the value thresholds applied by the DIBP for goods are:

  • exports - consignments of goods with a value $2,000 or more
  • imports - goods with a value exceeding $1,000 require a full import declaration.

2.8 Some data with values below these thresholds are received by the DIBP and provided to the ABS. The ABS treatment of these is explained in paragraph 4.22 in ABS Compilation Methods.

2.9 In the past lower value thresholds were applied by the DIBP and the ABS, see paragraphs 2.8 and 2.9 of International Merchandise Trade, Australia: Concepts, Sources and Methods, 2001 (cat. no. 5489.0). For changes to thresholds since 1988 see Appendix 2 in the 'Downloads' tab.