The Sun Top Operating Model.

Most goods imported into Australia pass through 2–4 layers of intermediaries: foreign trading house, AU wholesale importer, AU distributor, AU retailer. Each layer adds 15–40% margin. By the time a buyer sees the price, the factory cost has been multiplied 2–4x.

Sun Top buys directly from the factory in China at factory price, adds one transparent margin, and ships door-to-door to Australia. That removes 2–3 layers of stacked markup. The saving stays with the buyer.

Our margin is structured to be profitable for us and meaningfully cheaper for you. We are not a charity. We are also not a sourcing agent on commission — we own the deal end-to-end and carry the risk.

China-to-Australia sea freight is the only commercially viable option for most goods. A realistic timeline looks like:

• Factory production: 2–6 weeks for stock or quick-turn items; 8–12+ weeks for custom-manufactured items (bespoke kitchens, custom furniture, complex AV systems)
• QC inspection & export packing: 3–5 days
• Inland freight to Chinese port: 2–4 days
• Ocean freight to AU port (Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane): 18–25 days
• AU customs & biosecurity clearance: 3–10 days
• AU final-mile delivery: 3–7 days

Add buffer for Chinese New Year (factory shutdown 2–4 weeks each Jan/Feb), Golden Week (Oct), port congestion, and AU biosecurity inspections on wood and packaging.

Air freight is 4–8 weeks door-to-door but costs 3–5× sea freight. Only viable for very high value, very low volume goods.

Sun Top's contracted delivery is kerbside or ground-floor delivery at your nominated address. The truck driver does not enter your premises, does not move goods up stairs, and does not unpack crates.

You must:

• Ensure truck access to the address (driveway width, weight limits, low-bridge clearance, body-corporate restrictions)
• Provide labour to unload — for furniture and large items, two-person minimum
• Move goods inside
• Unpack crates and packaging
• Dispose of all crates, packaging, foam, plastic at your cost
• Inspect goods within 14 days of delivery and report damage/defects in writing with photographs

If your site needs hi-ab crane, fork-lift, two-person lift, or upstairs delivery, tell us at quote stage so we can arrange and price it. Site-specific delivery upgrades are quoted separately.

At project start we charge a sourcing engagement fee — $250, $500, or $1,000 AUD depending on complexity. The fee covers our actual sourcing work: factory shortlist, RFQ outreach in Mandarin, sample coordination, landed-cost build, and quote compilation.

The fee is non-refundable but 100% credited against your final invoice if you place an order within 60 days. So serious buyers who proceed pay nothing extra. Buyers who tyre-kick fund the work we did for them.

Without this fee we cannot afford to take on speculative briefs. With it we can give each buyer real, properly-researched sourcing work.

Sun Top Trade Co., Limited is registered in Hong Kong. Hong Kong has no GST or VAT, so Sun Top invoices contain no GST.

However, goods entering Australia attract import GST of ~10% on landed value, payable at the AU port. The buyer is named as importer of record on every shipment. Sun Top's licensed Australian customs broker pays the import GST on your behalf and we invoice it to you as part of the landed quote.

GST-registered, claiming the GST back: reclaim the import GST via your BAS as a normal input tax credit. Net cost = landed price.

GST-registered, not claiming (simpler): many businesses prefer to skip the BAS paperwork and treat the import GST as a cost. Cleaner accounting, no extra admin, no input-tax-credit chase. Your landed cost stays exactly as quoted.

Private buyers and non-registered buyers: import GST is part of your landed cost and cannot be claimed back.

All three paths are clearly broken out in every Sun Top quote so you can model your true net cost. Tell us which one you want on the RFQ.

For orders above $10,000 AUD Sun Top arranges pre-shipment inspection by an independent third-party quality control firm (typically Bureau Veritas, SGS, or QIMA). The inspection is conducted at the factory before goods leave China.

The inspection report covers: quantity verification, workmanship, function testing on a sample basis, packaging integrity, and compliance with the agreed spec. Goods only ship after the QC report is approved.

QC inspection fees are passed through at cost — usually $300–$600 AUD per inspection day, included in the landed quote.

For smaller orders, factory self-inspection is standard and Sun Top reviews the factory's QC photos before shipment.

You have 14 days from delivery to inspect goods and report visible defects, damage, or shortages to Sun Top in writing with photographs. Earlier is better — damage discovered while the delivery driver is still on site should be photographed and recorded on the delivery note.

Sun Top handles the supplier dispute, replacement, or credit on your behalf. We do not pass the buck to the factory and tell you to chase them.

Australian Consumer Law: if you are a private consumer protected by the ACL, the non-excludable consumer guarantees apply and override the 14-day window where relevant (for example for latent defects discovered later, or for goods not fit for purpose). The 14-day reporting window is a commercial best practice, not a waiver of consumer rights.

International sourcing carries real-world risks no operator can fully eliminate:

• Chinese New Year (factories shut 2–4 weeks each Jan/Feb)
• Other Chinese public holidays (Labour Day, Mid-Autumn Festival, Golden Week)
• Port closures (weather, congestion, strikes)
• Ocean freight schedule changes and blank sailings
• AU biosecurity holds on wood, bamboo, or natural-fibre packaging
• Pandemics, war, sanctions, trade policy changes

Where any of these events delay your delivery, Sun Top will keep you informed and work to minimise impact. Sun Top does not guarantee specific delivery dates and is not liable for losses caused by force majeure events.

Plan accordingly: order earlier than you think you need to.

Standard project terms are 50% deposit on PO confirmation, 50% balance on shipment readiness (before the vessel sails). Larger custom projects may use 30/30/40 (deposit / production milestone / shipment).

All payments are in AUD to Sun Top Trade Co. Limited's nominated bank account. Bank details are provided on the Sun Top proforma invoice.

The sourcing engagement fee is invoiced and paid separately at project commencement.

Sun Top does not extend credit terms on first orders. Established repeat clients may discuss extended terms after their second successful shipment.

Sun Top does not disclose the identity of specific Chinese factories to buyers. Our factory relationships are the engine of the business and are treated as confidential commercial information.

What you receive: full landed cost breakdown, third-party QC reports, certificates of origin, test reports, and any compliance documentation your industry requires. What you do not receive: factory names, factory contact details, or the ability to bypass Sun Top and deal direct.

This is industry-standard trading-company practice and protects the pricing leverage we use to keep your costs low.