AustraliaLump charcoal for Australian buyers
Wholesale hardwood lump charcoal for Australian importers and restaurants
Virovo Promet supplies restaurant-grade hardwood lump charcoal, Marabu and charcoal briquettes to Australia by the 20 ft or 40 ft container, quoted per order. Typical buyers are importers, foodservice and restaurant-supply distributors, charcoal chicken shops, steakhouses, rotisseries, yakitori bars, caterers and BBQ retailers in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth who need bulk charcoal with a written specification.
Who buys restaurant-grade charcoal in Australia
Charcoal chicken shops, steakhouses, rotisseries, yakitori bars and caterers burn lump charcoal through every service and buy it in 15 and 20 kg bags from importers and foodservice distributors. Restaurant-grade lump means large, dense pieces with little dust that hold a steady heat; Marabu burns longest, indicatively up to around 8 hours and varying by lot.
BBQ retailers stock lump charcoal and briquettes in smaller bags for the summer season, so containers need to land before it starts. We describe every lot in a written specification with indicative figures, and private-label bags with your brand are available on request.
Bags, pallets and containers
Standard bags are 10, 15 and 20 kg, the sizes restaurants and caterers usually buy, with 2 to 5 kg retail bags on request. Agree the bag size first, then the quotation states bags per pallet and net kilograms per pallet.
A 20 ft container takes about 10 to 11 Euro pallets and a 40 ft high-cube about 22 to 24, indicative figures. Charcoal fills the box by volume before it reaches the weight limit, so the exact net load is confirmed in the quotation before loading.
How the container ships
Containers load at Thessaloniki, the deep-sea port about 230 km from Skopje, for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide or Fremantle. The port of discharge and Incoterm (FOB, CFR or CIF) are agreed per order, and the shipping line confirms routing and transit time at booking.
Charcoal is sea cargo under the IMDG Code (UN 1361, class 4.2), which Australia applies through AMSA Marine Order 41. Since IMDG Amendment 42-24 took effect on 1 January 2026, a self-heating test no longer exempts charcoal: special provision 978 sets weathering, packing-temperature and stowage conditions, and the dangerous-goods declaration states the production and packing dates. The carrier confirms acceptance for every booking.
Australian import checklist
Biosecurity: the department's BICON case "Plant derived charcoal, wood pellets, briquettes and firewood" sets the conditions for fully carbonised wood charcoal. In the version checked in October 2026, commercially packaged charcoal with its ingredients stated needs no import permit, must be clean and free of bark, insects and other biosecurity risk material, travels in clean, new packaging and may be inspected on arrival. BICON cases change often, so your broker checks the current version before every shipment.
Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) season: North Macedonia and Greece are target risk countries, and wood charcoal (tariff chapter 44) is a target high-risk good. Containers shipped on board between 1 September and 30 April must be treated, offshore by an approved treatment provider or onshore at container level, as the department's BMSB measures set out. The treatment option and its cost are agreed in the quotation.
Duty and labels: wood charcoal under tariff item 4402.90.00 is Free in the Australian customs tariff (checked October 2026), and GST of 10% applies to the value of the taxable importation. Wooden pallets must be ISPM 15 treated and marked. Goods imported as prepacked articles need a trade description in English naming the country of origin under the Commerce (Trade Descriptions) Regulation 2016; your adviser confirms the label wording for the actual product.
What to include in your enquiry
Send the charcoal type, the number of containers, the bag size, the port of discharge or warehouse postcode, the Incoterm you prefer, your target shipping month, which decides whether BMSB treatment applies, and any private-label needs. We reply with a written offer naming the product, pallet count, net load and terms.
Is there import duty on charcoal into Australia?
Wood charcoal under tariff item 4402.90.00 is Free in the Australian customs tariff (checked October 2026). GST of 10% applies to the value of the taxable importation, and your broker confirms the classification for the actual product.
Do I need an import permit for charcoal into Australia?
In the BICON case for plant-derived charcoal checked in October 2026, commercially packaged charcoal with its ingredients stated needs no permit; charcoal that is not commercially packaged, or has no ingredients statement, needs one. Check the current BICON version before every shipment.
Does BMSB treatment apply to charcoal from North Macedonia?
Yes, in season. North Macedonia and Greece are BMSB target risk countries and wood charcoal is a target high-risk good, so containers shipped on board between 1 September and 30 April must be treated. Containers shipped from 1 May to 31 August fall outside the seasonal measures.
Can you supply Marabu charcoal to Australia?
Yes. Marabu is available for Australian orders, subject to availability for the lot.
How much charcoal fits in a 40 ft container?
About 22 to 24 Euro pallets in a 40 ft high-cube, indicative. Net weight depends on bag size and pallet height and is confirmed in the quotation.