Importing dining and cafe chairs into Australia: biosecurity, stink bug season and price per chair

Australian buyers ask for chairs and furniture more than most categories. Metal-frame upholstered dining chairs cost about US$25–38 each FOB. The things that hold up a container are biosecurity: timber and wicker treatment, ISPM 15 pallets, and random inspection during stink bug season (1 September to 30 April).

Numbers checked 2026-11-06

The request

Chairs and other furniture for Australia, seen repeatedly on public buying-request boards in autumn 2026.

Short answer

  • Ship between 1 September and 30 April and you are in brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) season. Furniture (HS chapter 94) from emerging-risk countries such as China can be picked for random inspection on arrival.
  • Solid timber, rattan and wicker can need treatment and certificates. Check the exact item in BICON, the Australian import conditions database, before you order.
  • Wooden pallets and crates must carry the ISPM 15 mark, or the packaging is treated or sent back at your cost.
  • Metal-frame upholstered dining chairs: about US$25–38 each FOB, from as few as 5–100 pieces. Stackable banquet chairs: about US$6.50–19.

Rules that decide the spec

  • BMSB seasonal measures 2025–26: sea cargo shipped 1 September 2025 to 30 April 2026 (bill of lading date). Chapters 39, 94 and 95 from emerging-risk countries are subject to random inspection; approved treatments are heat, methyl bromide, sulfuryl fluoride or ethyl formate. source
  • Wood packaging (pallets, crates, dunnage) must meet ISPM 15: treated and marked. source
  • Timber, wicker and other plant-material furniture can need fumigation or heat treatment, a phytosanitary certificate, and a new plywood declaration for plywood parts. Non-compliant goods can be seized, re-exported or destroyed. source
  • BICON lists the import conditions for each kind of goods. Search it for your exact material before you confirm the order. source

What it costs

  • Metal-frame upholstered dining chair: ≈US$25–38 each FOB
  • Stackable banquet or Chiavari chair: ≈US$6.50–19 each FOB
  • Metal and PE rattan outdoor bistro chair: ≈US$22 each FOB (MOQ 100)
  • Hospitality booth seating: ≈US$41–149 per piece FOB

Price ranges from public factory listings on Made-in-China in November 2026, not a quote. Freight, duty and GST are not included.

How to check a factory

  • Carton size and whether the chair ships knocked down. That decides how many fit in a container, and so the landed price.
  • A load or durability test report (EN or BIFMA) for cafe and hotel use, from the factory or a lab.
  • Timber species and treatment certificate for any wooden parts, and ISPM 15 marks on the pallets.
  • Ship date against the BMSB season, so the container doesn't sit in inspection.

Common traps

  • Real wicker or rattan bought as "metal chair" and held at the border for treatment.
  • Untreated pallets inside an otherwise compliant container.
  • Comparing per-chair prices without carton volume: a cheap chair that ships assembled can cost more per chair once landed.