FedEx Clearance Fees for Personal Effects Shipments
FedEx Australia classifies Personal Effects shipments as a prohibited commodity. This is due to the lengthy clearance process that needs to be completed in order to facilitate clearance of such shipments through Australian Customs Service, Border Protection Service (ACBPS) and Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS).
Personal Effects shipments contain items which have been owned and used by the owner for 12 months or more, and the owner wishes to claim duty and tax free status on importation to Australia. If the commodity is described as "Personal Effects, Personal Belongings or Used Items” for clearance purposes, it will be treated as a Personal Effects shipment.
This type of shipment requires specialist handling due to the complexity of the clearance process. It takes approximately 19 days or longer to clear. We will therefore advise the customer at the pickup location that the package cannot be accepted for shipment by FedEx.
If a Personal Effects shipment is not declared as stated above and the package enters the FedEx system, extensive clearance delays can be expected. The customer will be offered the choice of a) entering the shipment as commercial goods, b) self-clearance at no extra charge, or c) a non-FedEx broker must be appointed to facilitate the clearance.
If the customer does not choose any of these options and FedEx is required to clear a Personal Effects shipment, effective November 1, 2009 an additional handling fee of AUD99.00 (incl. GST) will be charged. This fee will cover the administrative costs and time taken to process these clearances.
For further information, please contact your local Customer Service team.