BONDED WAREHOUSE CUSTOMS CLEARANCE IN AUSTRALIA
SEKO’s licensed customs brokers operate ABF-licensed bonded facilities in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, giving importers faster clearance with full control from arrival to release.
SEKO’s bonded warehouse customs clearance model for imports moves your freight directly from port or airport into our bonded facilities under bond, where our team manages the full process through to release and delivery. Unlike terminal clearance, there are no queue times, no unexpected storage fees, and no handoffs between parties you don’t control.
Our solution operates across two clearance pathways - choose based on whether you manage your own customs broker or want SEKO to handle clearance end-to-end. Both pathways include bonded transfer and can be extended with modular services including freight forwarding, nationwide cartage, and final mile delivery.
Used by ecommerce brands managing high-volume parcel imports, B2B importers and wholesalers, and freight forwarders needing bonded capacity near Australia’s major gateways.
Not sure which pathway suits you? Talk to our team.
CHOOSE YOUR CLEARANCE PATHWAY
SEKO’s bonded warehouse customs clearance solution operates across two pathways - choose based on whether you manage your own customs broker or want SEKO to handle clearance end-to-end.
USE SEKO AS BROKER
Bonded Clearance & Release
Bonded clearance is a customs pathway where your freight moves directly from the port or airport into SEKO’s Australian Border Force licensed (ABF-licensed) bonded warehouse under bond, meaning it remains under customs control until cleared.
SEKO’s licensed customs brokers manage the full clearance process on your behalf, lodging the entry with the ABF and releasing your cargo directly from our bonded warehouse once clearance is granted. No third-party storage, no terminal queues, no separate broker.
Suited to ecommerce brands, B2B importers, and freight forwarders needing end-to-end clearance under one provider.
USE YOUR OWN BROKER
Underbond Processing and Release
Underbond processing is designed for importers who have an existing customs broker and want to keep them. Your freight moves under bond from the port or airport into SEKO’s bonded facility, where it is securely held under customs control.
Your broker lodges the customs entry independently, and once the ABF grants clearance, SEKO releases the cargo from our bonded warehouse. You get the speed and control of bonded storage without changing your brokerage arrangements.
Suited to importers and wholesalers with an established broker relationship who need bonded storage and release without changing their brokerage arrangements.
EXTEND YOUR SOLUTION WITH MODULAR SERVICES
Both clearance pathways can be extended with additional services where they fit your supply chain. Use one, use all, or none - your clearance solution works either way.
Freight Forwarding - 3-Port Injection
Import your freight directly via SEKO’s air and ocean freight forwarding network directly into our bonded facilities in Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne. Combining forwarding with clearance under one provider eliminates the handoff between your forwarder and warehouse, reducing transfer time and giving you a single point of contact from origin to release.
Explore Freight Forwarding
Nationwide Cartage & Trucking
Once freight is released from our bonded facilities, SEKO’s cartage network moves it across Australia via integrated linehaul and distribution. Ideal for B2B importers and wholesalers who need predictable transit times and consolidated trucking without managing separate carrier relationships.
Explore distribution
Final Mile Delivery - B2B and B2C
From our bonded warehouses directly to your customers or stores. SEKO’s national carrier network supports both business and consumer deliveries, giving ecommerce brands and retailers a single provider from customs release to front door. Particularly suited to high-volume importers processing large parcel flows through our bonded facilities.
Explore final mile deliveryKNOW WHICH PATHWAY SUITS YOU?
Talk to our team and we'll identify the clearance pathway and modular services that fit your supply chain.
TRUSTED BY IMPORTERS AND LOGISTICS TEAMS WORLDWIDE
SEKO manages inbound freight for businesses across ecommerce, retail, wholesale, and freight forwarding - from single clearance pathways to fully integrated import operations.
"Castore's partnership with SEKO has enabled rapid deployment of our new product ranges and territories. SEKO's Global infrastructure and systems, along with their flexible approach, means we can trust them to be working diligently on our end-to-end supply chain, whilst we focus on growing our business and that of our customers.”
David Storey
Supply Chain Director, Castore
WHY IMPORTERS CHOOSE SEKO?
Three bonded facilities in Australia. ABF-licensed customs brokers. A single network from arrival to delivery.
FASTER FROM ARRIVAL TO RELEASE
Our bonded facilities in Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne sit close to their respective international airports, meaning freight moves under bond directly from port to our warehouse without entering the terminal network. The result is faster processing, predictable release times, and no unexpected storage charges while you wait for a terminal slot.
LICENSED BROKERS, ABF-LICENSED FACILITIES
SEKO holds a licensed customs broker registration and operates ABF-approved bonded warehouses across Australia’s three major import gateways. That means the compliance, the storage, and the release all sit within a single accredited operation - not distributed across providers with different oversight standards.
ONE NETWORK, FEWER HANDOFFS
Clearance, storage, cartage, and final mile delivery operate within the same SEKO network. Every handoff you remove is a delay and an error you eliminate. For importers managing high-volume inbound freight, that operational continuity has a direct impact on landed cost and customer SLAs.
BUILT FOR B2B & ECOMMERCE IMPORTS
From pallets and cartons to high-volume parcel flows, our bonded facilities and automated processing handle the full range of inbound freight types. Whether you’re a wholesaler with predictable container cycles or an ecommerce brand managing seasonal spikes, the model scales without requiring you to change providers.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Everything you need to know about bonded and underbond customs clearance in Australia.
With terminal clearance, when freight clears at the terminal, it enters a queue managed by the terminal operator - not you, and not your broker. Storage fees accumulate while you wait for an available slot, release timing is largely outside your control, and your freight passes through multiple parties before it reaches you.
Bonded warehouse clearance moves freight directly from the port or airport into an ABF-licensed bonded warehouse under bond, where it stays under customs control until your broker or SEKO’s licensed team lodges the entry and the ABF grants the release. The result is faster processing, predictable costs, and direct control over when and how your cargo moves.
Freight that moves under bond travels between two ABF-licensed locations while remaining under customs control - meaning duty and GST have not yet been paid and the cargo cannot be accessed or distributed until clearance is granted. It is a legally controlled movement, not simply a transfer between warehouses. SEKO’s bonded warehouses are ABF-licensed to receive and hold freight under bond, which is a specific accreditation that not all warehouses hold.
Yes. The underbond processing pathway is specifically designed for importers who have an existing broker relationship and want to keep it. Your broker lodges the customs entry independently with the ABF, and SEKO holds your freight in our bonded facility under bond until clearance is granted and we receive the release instruction. You retain full control of the brokerage relationship while gaining the speed and cost advantages of bonded storage.
Processing time depends on the complexity of the customs entry and whether the ABF selects the consignment for intervention or examination. Within SEKO’s bonded facilities, freight is receipted, processed, and staged for release within 24-36 hours after clearance is granted. Because our facilities sit close to major international airports, transfer times and waiting periods are shorter compared to routing through the terminal network.
No. The clearance pathways operate independently of how your freight arrives in Australia. If you want to consolidate forwarding and clearance under one provider, SEKO’s 3-port injection service via our air and ocean freight forwarding network is available as an optional add-on.
In Australia, SEKO operates ABF-bonded warehouses in Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne, each positioned close to their respective international airports. All three facilities are equipped to receive air and ocean freight and support both bonded and underbond processing workflows.
START WITH THE RIGHT CLEARANCE MODEL
Talk to SEKO’s customs team about your inbound freight and we’ll identify the clearance pathway and services that fit your supply chain - without overcomplicating it.
Whether you need a single clearance pathway or a fully modular solution from forwarding to final mile, our team will walk you through the options.
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Licensed Australian Customs Broker - Licensed with the ABF to lodge customs entries on behalf of importers
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ABF-licensed bonded facilities - Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne - each positioned close to international ports and airports
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Air and ocean freight supported - all three gateways accept both air and ocean consignments into bonded storage
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150+ offices worldwide - Global network for origin coordination and cross-border freight management
ANY QUESTIONS, WE CAN HELP – HERE’S JUST A FEW WE RECEIVE REGULARLY
- What locations do you serve?
We empower you to scale into every core market, with 150+ offices and counting.
- Can you ship what I need to ship?
No matter how specialist or time-critical your request, we can handle it all.
- How much will it cost me?
No two shipments are the same, so inquire today for an exact quote.
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