Australia also exports significant quantities of aluminum, miscellaneous base metals, wheat, meat and wool.
The following list shows which Australian exports attracted the most sales during 2017. Unlike most information currently available on the web, the items below are detailed at the 4-digit tariff code level. Specific data on export sales can help entrepreneurs identify precisely which products in which the Land Down Under has strong competitive advantages over other nations — and where there are potential opportunities for innovation.
For the most recent four-digit HTS code data, please see the Searchable List of Australia’s Most Valuable Exports Products section in the Australia’s Top 10 Exports article. For a link to that article, see the See also paragraph above Research Sources below.
Highest Value Australian Export Products
Below are the 20 highest value export products shipped from Australia in 2017. Shown within brackets is the change in value for each item over the 7-year period ending in 2016.
- Iron ores, concentrates: US$49.3 billion (up 24.2% since 2016)
- Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $40.6 billion (up 37.1%)
- Petroleum gases: $20.5 billion (up 48.6%)
- Gold (unwrought): $13.1 billion (down -2.8%)
- Aluminum oxide/hydroxide: $5.8 billion (up 36%)
- Wheat: $4.7 billion (up 28.6%)
- Crude oil: $4 billion (up 14.3%)
- Copper ores, concentrates: $3.6 billion (up 4.5%)
- Frozen beef: $3.5 billion (up 6.3%)
- Wool (uncarded, uncombed): $2.9 billion (up 26.9%)
- Aluminum (unwrought): $2.6 billion (up 10.4%)
- Sheep or goat meat: $2.6 billion (up 30.5%)
- Fresh or chilled beef: $2.3 billion (up 2.2%)
- Dried shelled vegetables: $2.2 billion (up 53.4%)
- Refined copper, unwrought alloys: $2.2 billion (down -1.3%)
- Wine: $2.1 billion (up 20.2%)
- Processed petroleum oils: $1.8 billion (up 12.9%)
- Medication mixes in dosage: $1.7 billion (up 5.9%)
- Barley: $1.6 billion (up 43.1%)
- Cotton (uncarded, uncombed): $1.6 billion (up 32.2%)
Among these product categories, dried shelled vegetables posted the greatest increase in export sales up 53.4% from 2016 to 2017.
In second place were petroleum gases which appreciated 48.6% trailed by barley’s 43.1% rise.
Australian coal and solid fuels made from coal also showed a respectable gain, up 37.1%. Australia’s international sales of aluminum oxide or hydroxide improved by 36%.
On average, all exports from Australia grew in value by 21.2% in 2017 compared to 2016.
See also Australia’s Top 10 Major Export Companies, Australia’s Top 10 Exports and Australia’s Top Trading Partners
Research Sources:
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on February 7, 2018
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Exports and World Population, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on February 7, 2018
Trade Map, International Trade Centre, www.intracen.org/marketanalysis. Accessed on February 7, 2018