Australia

Imports: FOB, by origin

Exports: FOB, by last known destination

Trade System: General

Overview:
In 2012, the value of exports of Australia dropped 4.9 percent to reach 256.2 bln US$ (see table 1 and graph 1). On the other hand, imports
increased 6.9 percent and amounted to 250.5 bln US$ (see table 2 and graph 1). The trade balance recorded a surplus of 5.8 bln US$ in 2012
(see graph 1). By MDG regions, major trade surpluses were recorded with Eastern Asia (+46.0 bln US$), Developed Asia-Pacific (+29.1 bln
US$) and Southern Asia (+11.1 bln US$) (see graph 2). Deficits were recorded with Developed Europe (-29.3 bln US$), Developed North America
(-20.6 bln US$) and South-eastern Asia (-20.4 bln US$). In 2012, Australia's trade was diversified across partners: respectively 11 and 17 top
partners accounted for 80 percent of exports and imports (see graph 3).

Graph 1: Total imports, exports and trade balance

(Bln US$ by year)
Exports

300

Imports

Trade Balance

250

Table 1: Exports by SITC sections

(Value in million US$, growth and shares in percentage)
SITC
Total
0+1
2+4
3
5
6
7
8
9

200
150
100
50
0
50
100

2012

256 242.9
28 273.8
87 351.6
72 889.6
8 658.8
14 319.5
13 789.6
5 099.4
25 860.5

Avg. Growth rates (%)

2008-2012 2011-2012

8.2
8.1
16.8
5.0
5.2
-1.4
1.7
3.1
6.9

2012
share

-4.9
3.7
-10.0
-3.9
7.0
-13.3
6.0
-4.7
-1.8

100.0
11.0
34.1
28.4
3.4
5.6
5.4
2.0
10.1

150
200
250

12

11

20

10

20

09

20

08

20

07

20

06

20

05

20

04

20

03

20

02

20

01

20

00

20

99

20

19

19

98

300

Exports Profile:
In 2012, Australia's exports were composed of 34.1 percent inedible crude materials
(except fuels), animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes (SITC sections 2+4), 28.4
percent mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials (SITC section 3) and 11.0
percent food, live animals, beverages and tobacco (SITC sections 0+1) (see table 1).
The top three markets for exports in 2012 were China, Japan and Republic of Korea
(see table 4). From 2010 to 2012, the main exported products were iron ores and
concentrates, including roasted iron pyrites (HS code 2601), coal and briquettes,
ovoids and similar solid fuels manufactured from coal (HS code 2701) and gold
(including gold plated with platinum) (HS code 7108) (see table 3).

Table 2: Imports by SITC sections

(Value in million US$, growth and shares in percentage)
SITC
Total
0+1
2+4
3
5
6
7
8
9

2012

250 464.8
12 007.4
3 183.2
42 331.9
24 923.1
26 904.5
99 138.7
30 065.0
11 911.0

Avg. Growth rates (%)

2008-2012 2011-2012

6.9
9.2
1.9
8.9
5.8
6.0
7.3
6.3
2.8

2012
share

6.9
5.1
-7.1
7.1
1.1
4.9
14.2
4.0
-14.0

100.0
4.8
1.3
16.9
10.0
10.7
39.6
12.0
4.8

Table 3: Top 10 export commodities 2010 to 2012

(Value in million US$)
Value (million US$)
Unit value
4-digit heading of Harmonized System 2007
2010
2011
2012
2010 2011 2012
All Commodities............................................................................................................ 206 705.1 269 423.4 256 242.9
2601 Iron ores and concentrates, including roasted iron pyrites........................................... 44 290.2 66 216.9 56 726.9 0.1 0.1 0.1
2701 Coal; briquettes, ovoids and similar solid fuels manufactured from coal.................... 38 572.8 48 235.2 42 699.3 0.1 0.2 0.1
7108 Gold (including gold plated with platinum)................................................................... 12 816.1 15 441.1 16 033.9
2711 Petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons......................................................
9 452.4 12 445.3 15 165.8 0.4 0.4
2709 Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude.............................
9 385.3 11 830.1 11 317.6 0.6 0.8 0.8
9999 Commodities not specified according to kind...............................................................
9 996.0 10 750.9
9 782.5
1001 Wheat and meslin.........................................................................................................
3 754.5
6 277.0
6 759.5 0.2 0.3 0.3
2603 Copper ores and concentrates.......................................................................................
4 467.9
5 615.6
5 467.3 2.4 3.1 2.7
2818 Artificial corundum, whether or not chemically defined...............................................
4 687.1
5 495.1
5 331.4 0.3 0.3 0.3
7601 Unwrought aluminium...................................................................................................
3 750.3
4 234.8
3 603.0 2.2 2.5 2.2
HS
code

Source: UN Comtrade

Unit
US$/kg
US$/kg
US$/kg
US$/kg
US$/kg
US$/kg
US$/kg
US$/kg

SITC
code
281
321
971
343
333
931
041
283
285
684

Australia
Graph 2: Trade Balance by MDG Regions in 2012

Graph 3: Partner concentration of trade in 2012

(Bln US$)

(Cumulative share by ranked partners)

Developed AsiaPacific

Imports
(Herfindahl Index = 0.07)

Developed Europe

Exports
(Herfindahl Index = 0.141)

Top
partner

Developed N. America

Top
partner

Southeastern Europe
5 th

5 th

10 th

10 th

15 th

15 th

20 th

20 th

25 th

25 th

CIS
Northern Africa
SubSaharan Africa
Latin Am, Caribbean
Eastern Asia
Southern Asia
Southeastern Asia

(Value in million US$, percentages of country total)

Country
World...............................
China................................
Japan...............................
Rep. of Korea ...................
India.................................
USA..................................
Other Asia, nes ................
New Zealand...................
Singapore........................
United Kingdom...............
Malaysia..........................

Total

256 242.9
75 836.3
49 680.3
20 541.0
12 611.7
9 515.7
8 248.7
7 665.9
7 374.4
6 930.9
5 256.1

0+1

11.0
3.0
11.1
8.9
4.2
27.6
7.7
18.0
12.1
9.4
17.1

2+4

34.1
70.2
34.0
41.5
16.8
1.9
24.8
1.4
2.4
0.7
7.2

Shares by SITC sections (%)

5
6
7
8

28.4 3.4 5.6 5.4 2.0 10.1

13.3 1.6 2.5 1.0 0.3 8.0
49.0 1.1 3.9 0.5 0.5 0.0
37.9 4.1 4.2 1.8 0.3 1.2
48.3 2.1 2.1 1.0 0.3 25.2
3.1 9.0 11.5 27.9 12.3 6.5
47.2 6.7 12.4 0.8 0.3 0.0
4.7 14.5 14.7 27.0 15.8 3.9
45.7 2.5 3.9 10.0 3.2 20.2
7.1 2.3 11.4 4.9 5.4 58.8
30.5 6.7 32.1 5.1 1.2 0.2

Total

100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100

0%
10

80

60

40

%
20

0%

%
20

Table 4: Exports by principal countries and SITC sections in 2012

40

60

80

10

50

40

30

20

10

0
1

0
2

Oceania

0%

Western Asia

Imports Profile:
Machinery and transport equipment (SITC
section 7) accounted for 39.6 percent of total
imports in 2012 (see table 2). Other major
commodity groups included mineral fuels,
lubricants and related materials (SITC
section 3) and miscellaneous manufactured
articles (SITC section 8); they represented,
respectively, 16.9 and 12.0 percent of
imports. The top imported products in the last
three years were petroleum oils and oils
obtained from bituminous minerals, crude
(HS code 2709), motor cars and other motor
vehicles principally designed for the
transport (HS code 8703) and petroleum oils,
other than crude (HS code 2710) (see table 5).

Table 5: Top 10 import commodities 2010 to 2012

(Value in million US$)
Value (million US$)
Unit value
SITC
4-digit heading of Harmonized System 2007
code
2010
2011
2012
2010 2011 2012
Unit
All Commodities............................................................................................................ 188 740.7 234 205.8 250 464.8
2709 Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude ............................. 14 576.0 21 496.2 22 349.4 0.6 0.9 0.9 US$/kg
333
8703 Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport ............... 14 300.1 14 611.1 17 518.0 17.3 20.0 20.4 thsd US$/unit 781
2710 Petroleum oils, other than crude...................................................................................
US$/kg
334
8 961.9 14 766.0 16 440.2
0.9
3004 Medicaments (excluding goods of heading 30.02, 30.05 or 30.06)..............................
542
7 071.9
8 739.7
8 396.7
8704 Motor vehicles for the transport of goods....................................................................
thsd US$/unit 782
5 351.7
6 259.5
8 688.8 26.4 31.2
8471 Automatic data processing machines and units thereof..............................................
5 861.8
6 794.5
6 968.4 248.8 251.7 267.4 US$/unit 752
7108 Gold (including gold plated with platinum)...................................................................
971
6 329.6
6 526.5
5 940.3
8517 Electrical apparatus for line telephony or line telegraphy............................................
764
5 075.4
6 613.3
6 986.7
9999 Commodities not specified according to kind...............................................................
931
5 392.4
7 234.2
5 856.0
4011 New pneumatic tyres, of rubber....................................................................................
1 910.3
2 708.8
3 103.9 88.9 123.7 134.8 US$/unit 625
HS
code

Source: UN Comtrade