U.S. Food Export to Australia

Chihade International supplies American food products to importers, retailers and foodservice distributors in Australia, shipped from our SQF-certified facility in Georgia. We are looking for a distributor partner in Australia.

Why Australia

Under the Australia–United States Free Trade Agreement, in force since 2005, all U.S. agricultural exports received immediate duty-free access. In practice tariffs are a non-issue here — biosecurity is the real gate, and planning for it is what separates a smooth programme from a stalled one.

The U.S. exported around $1.5 billion of food and agricultural products to Australia in 2024 and is the second-largest supplier of consumer-oriented food after New Zealand. Retail food is worth $141.1 billion and foodservice A$59 billion. Fastest-growing import categories are non-alcoholic beverages (+35%), chocolate and cocoa (+33%) and pet food (+31%).

One structural point worth knowing early: Australian grocery retail is highly concentrated. The competition regulator’s 2025 final report puts the two largest chains at roughly 38% and 29% of the market — about two thirds combined — and describes the structure as oligopolistic. Listings are hard-won, which makes a partner with genuine buyer relationships worth a great deal.

What We Do From the U.S.

We are a U.S. exporter. We do not operate warehouses or distribution in Australia — that is what our distributor partners do. Our job is everything on the American side of the shipment:

• Sourcing from more than 300 U.S. manufacturers, to your specification
• Consolidating mixed loads into full containers, so you are not forced into single-supplier minimums
• Dry, chilled and frozen storage in our 64,000 sq. ft. SQF-certified facility in Lawrenceville, Georgia
• English labelling, stickering and ink-jet date coding applied before goods leave the U.S.
• Export documentation — USDA and health certificates, halal certification where required, certificates of origin
• Ocean and air freight on contracted U.S. lanes, with expedited air for urgent replenishment

Import Requirements We Prepare For

Two sequential gates apply, and the first is unusually strict.

Biosecurity comes first. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) administers it under the Biosecurity Act 2015, and conditions are set out in the BICON database. If a product is not listed in BICON it is very likely not permitted entry at all, and establishing access for a genuinely new commodity requires a Biosecurity Import Risk Analysis that takes a minimum of two years. We check BICON per product before quoting rather than after.

Food safety comes second, under DAFF’s Imported Food Inspection Scheme. Products classed as “risk” foods face 100% inspection with test-and-hold; “surveillance” foods face 5% with test-and-release. Standards are written by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).

Labelling is in English and must carry, among other things, a supplier name and an Australian or New Zealand business address — which in practice means a local partner is necessary even though no food import licence exists as such. Country-of-origin labelling follows the 2016 Information Standard, with imported food needing an origin statement in a clearly defined box.

Melbourne is the largest container port at 3.52 million TEU in 2025, followed by Port Botany, Brisbane and Fremantle. Sydney is the principal air freight gateway.

What We Look For in a Distributor Partner

We are deliberately selective, because these relationships tend to last decades rather than seasons. We are typically looking for:

• An established importer of record, with the licences and clearance experience the market requires
• Real coverage of at least one channel — modern retail, wholesale, foodservice distribution, or franchise supply
• Temperature-controlled storage and distribution appropriate to the categories you want to carry
• A sales team that can place and support a new brand rather than simply warehousing it
• An interest in a long-term programme, including exclusive lines where it makes sense for both sides

If that is a reasonable description of your business, we would like to talk.

See all markets we serve →

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have a warehouse or office in Australia?

No. Chihade International is a U.S. exporter based in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and we ship from there. We do not hold stock inside Australia. Local importing, clearance, storage and distribution are handled by our distributor partners — which is precisely the role we are looking to fill.

Do we have to order a full container of a single product?

No. Consolidation is one of the main reasons distributors work with us. We combine products from multiple U.S. manufacturers into one container, so you can carry a broad range without committing to full-truckload minimums from each supplier.

Can we get exclusive rights to a brand in our market?

In many cases, yes. Chihade International is the exclusive distributor of Country Sun, our own brand of American cheeses, mayonnaise, frying oils, cheese sauce and breakfast meats. Where it makes commercial sense on both sides, we grant exclusive Country Sun distribution rights by territory — a line your competitors cannot stock. See the range at countrysunfoods.com.

If AUSFTA makes it duty free, what is the hard part?

Biosecurity. Tariffs genuinely are a non-issue under AUSFTA, but DAFF’s biosecurity regime is among the strictest in the world. We check each product against the BICON database before quoting, because a product not listed in BICON is very likely not permitted at all — and that is far better to know before anyone commits.

Why do you need an Australian business address on the label?

Australia’s Food Standards Code requires the label to carry a supplier name and an Australian or New Zealand business address. There is no food import licence as such, but that requirement means the programme needs a local partner in practice.

Can you supply chilled and frozen product?

Yes, subject to biosecurity conditions for the specific commodity. Meat and poultry require an import permit, an animal health certificate and origin from plants approved for Australia, all of which we prepare in Georgia.

How We Work With Partners in Australia

Whichever channel you operate in, the U.S. side of the shipment is the same: sourcing, consolidation, preparation and documentation from our SQF-certified facility in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

• Franchise export — supplying U.S. franchise brands at their locations in Australia.
• Distributor partnerships — for importers and foodservice distributors carrying American lines.
• Retail and supermarket consolidation — an American grocery range without single-supplier minimums.
• Export warehousing and 3PL — dry, chilled and frozen under one roof in Georgia.
• All export services — the full picture of what we handle before a container sails.
• Beef and protein export — U.S. beef, poultry and seafood, including halal programmes, with plant eligibility confirmed for each market.

Useful reading: Export documentation, in plain English  ·  Container consolidation for food importers  ·  How to become a distributor partner  · How franchise export works ·  all export guides

Become Our Distributor Partner in Australia

Tell us about your market coverage and the products you are looking for, and we will be in touch about a distribution program.