Business opportunities
The Opportunities Online website may be a useful addition to your information sources. The database established by Austrade aims to deliver international sales leads ('export opportunities'), including tenders, generated by our overseas network to Australian businesses.
Registering is simple and once this is done you will have the option of accessing a weekly newsletter featuring the most recent opportunities uploaded onto the system in industry sectors of interest to you. Another feature is the ability to view, and also print, the complete page of opportunity details.
For general inquiries concerning Austrade’s services, please contact Austrade Direct on 13 28 78.
Business etiquette
Please note: Bribery of foreign public officials is a crime. Australian individuals and companies can be prosecuted in Australia for bribing foreign officials when overseas. For more information, go to the Attorney General's Department on foreign bribery.
Tariffs and regulations
Import restrictions
Most goods are admitted under open general licence. Specific licences are required for precious metals in bullion and manufactured forms, precious stones and jewellery.
Prohibited items include:
- arms and ammunition
- explosives (including pyrotechnics)
- offensive or obscene goods
- alcohol absolute
- poisons
- narcotics
- secondhand clothing
- motor cycles having engine capacities not exceeding 250cc
Tariff
Single-column tariff based on the Harmonised System. Duties are mainly ad valorem, assessed on either the FOB price (Incoterms 1990) or current domestic value in the country of origin, whichever is greater.
Specific duties are levied on a range of items, including:
- alcoholic beverages
- tobacco products
- specified chemicals
- petroleum products
- cinematographic film and playing cards
- used motor vehicles
Customs authority contact details:
Director of Customs and Taxation Control Ministry of Finance
Funafuti
Tel: +688 20 235
Fax: +688 20 816
Packing, marking and labelling
Normal commercial practice for packing. Outer containers should bear the consignee’s mark and port mark, and should be numbered (to accord with packing list) unless their contents can be otherwise readily identified.
Specific regulations cover the carriage and marking of dangerous and hazardous cargoes.
Weights and measures
The metric system.
Insurance
Normal commercial practice.
Methods of quoting and payment
Quotes in Australian dollars or Pound Sterling, FOB and CIF (Incoterms 1990) Funafuti. Payment through usual banking facilities.
Public health requirements
Plants and seeds, soil, animals (including fish, birds and insects) and certain types of fresh fruit and vegetables are restricted on health grounds. Details may be obtained from the Office of Ministry of Natural Resources, Tuvalu.
Documentation
Particular attention should be given to facilitating fast delivery of documents necessary for clearing goods through customs in view of the short shipping time between Australia and Tuvalu.
Pro-forma invoice
Not required unless there is a delay in forwarding final invoices.
Commercial invoice
No prescribed form. Two copies required. The invoice must include usual information, including:
- Complete description of goods, in normal commercial terms (use of brand names or codes without further description must be avoided).
- Current domestic value and selling price (each must be stated unless they are identical).
Combined invoice and certificate of value and origin required when letter of credit terms specify such conditions.
Bill of lading
Original bill of lading. 'To Order' bills are acceptable. Note: Exporters are warned that special precautions should be taken when it is necessary to transship goods to Tuvalu through Fiji. An agent should be appointed at the transshipping port to arrange for the goods to be on-forwarded.
Certificate of insurance
Normal commercial practice.
Packing list
A copy must accompany invoice.
Special certificates
Brandy, whisky and rum require certificates stating they have been matured in wood for not less than three years.
Plants require certificates of fumigation from the Ministry of Natural Resources.
Second-hand goods (eg. clothing and motor vehicles) require special certificates.
Taxation
A tax of 2.59 per cent assessed on the duty-plus value, is levied on all items. Import freight levy is applied on shipping tonnage. Petroleum products are exempt. |