The most valuable Australian imports also include mineral fuels including both refined and crude oils. Phone system devices including smartphones is another area where Australian exhibit strong international demand, as is the case for imported medication mixes in dosage as well as computers.
The following list shows on which product categories Australian importers spent the most. Unlike most information currently available on the web, the items below are detailed at the 4-digit tariff code level.
This level of granularity can help entrepreneurs identify more precisely which products in which Australia has strong demand but competitive disadvantages compared with other nations. Innovation can transform these disadvantages into lucrative business opportunities.
Compared to other nations, Australia places within the world’s 25 largest importers in terms of total dollar-value purchases.
For the most recent four-digit HTS code data, please see the link to Australia’s Top 10 Imports article in the See also paragraph above Research Sources below.
Highest Value Australian Import Products
Below are the 20 highest value import products delivered to Australian importers in 2017. Shown within brackets is the percentage change in value for each imported product compared over the latest 5-year period.
- Cars: US$17.5 billion (Down -0.9% from 2013 to 2017)
- Processed petroleum oils: $14.7 billion (Down -16.3%)
- Phone system devices: $7.9 billion (Up 14.8%)
- Crude oil: $7.2 billion (Down -62.9%)
- Trucks: $6.5 billion (Up 8.1%)
- Computers, optical readers: $6.3 billion (Down -5.1%)
- Light vessels, fire boats, floating docks: $6.3 billion (Up 8228.7%)
- Medication mixes in dosage: $5.4 billion (Down -27.6%)
- Gold (unwrought): $4.3 billion (Down -2.4%)
- Electro-medical equip (e.g. xrays): $2.2 billion (Up 7.4%)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $2.2 billion (Down -15.1%)
- Blood fractions (including antisera): $2 billion (Up 47.6%)
- Rubber tires (new): $2 billion (Down -24.5%)
- TV receivers/monitors/projectors: $1.9 billion (Up 4.8%)
- Miscellaneous furniture: $1.6 billion (Up 8.4%)
- Orthopedic appliances: $1.5 billion (Up 0.4%)
- Heavy machinery (bulldozers, excavators, road rollers): $1.4 billion (Down -18.5%)
- Taps, valves, similar appliances: $1.2 billion (Down -17%)
- Seats (excluding barber/dentist chairs): $1.2 billion (Up 0.1%)
- Insulated wire/cable: $1.2 billion (Down -17.7%)
Among the top import products, light vessels, fire boats and floating docks posted the greatest increase in Australian import purchases with an 8,229% gain in value.
In second place were imported blood fractions including antisera which improved 47.6% over the same 5-year period.
Australian imports of phone system devices including smartphones showed a respectable gain in 2017 up 14.8% from 2013, followed by miscellaneous furniture up 8.4%.
Leading the decliners were imported crude oil (down -62.9%) and medication mixes in dosage (down -27.6%).
See also Australia’s Top Trading Partners and Australia’s Top 10 Imports
Research Sources:
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on February 8, 2018
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Imports and World Population, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on February 8, 2018
Trade Map, International Trade Centre, www.intracen.org/marketanalysis. Accessed on February 8, 2018