Iron, coal, petroleum gases and gold lead the top 20 highest value Australian export products and accounted for half (50.2%) of the total value of Australian shipments during 2016.
Australia also exports significant quantities of aluminum, other base metals, wheat, meat and wool.
The following list shows which Australian exports attracted the most sales during 2016. 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.
Australia ranks among the world’s top 25 exporters by total shipment value.
Highest Value Australian Export Products
Below are the 20 highest value export products shipped from Australia in 2016. Shown within brackets is the change in value for each item over the 7-year period ending in 2016.
- Iron ores, concentrates: US$39.5 billion (up 67.4% since 2009)
- Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $28.3 billion (down -8.6%)
- Petroleum gases: $14 billion (up 106.4%)
- Gold (unwrought): $13.5 billion (up 14.4%)
- Aluminum oxide/hydroxide: $4.3 billion (up 15.2%)
- Wheat: $3.6 billion (down -3.3%)
- Crude oil: $3.6 billion (down -36%)
- Copper ores, concentrates: $3.4 billion (up 15.7%)
- Frozen beef: $3.3 billion (up 76.3%)
- Aluminum (unwrought): $2.4 billion (down -18.1%)
- Fresh or chilled beef: $2.3 billion (up 50.1%)
- Wool (uncarded, uncombed): $2.3 billion (up 59.1%)
- Refined copper, unwrought alloys: $2.2 billion (up 33.9%)
- Sheep or goat meat: $2 billion (up 64.5%)
- Wine: $1.7 billion (down -4.9%)
- Processed petroleum oils: $1.6 billion (down -13.9%)
- Medication mixes in dosage: $1.6 billion (down -42.8%)
- Dried shelled vegetables: $1.5 billion (up 262.6%)
- Cars: $1.3 billion (up 7.2%)
- Aircraft parts: $1.2 billion (up 140.7%)
Among these product categories, dried shelled vegetables posted the greatest increase in export sales up 262.6% from 2009 to 2016.
In second place were petroleum gases which appreciated 106.4% over the same 7-year period followed by frozen beef’s 76.3% rise.
Australian iron ores and concentrates also showed a respectable gain in 2016, up 67.4% in value compared to 2009 metrics, while international sales of Aussie sheep or goat meat improved by 64.5%. Unprocessed wool exports improved by 59.1%.
Overall, exports from Australia grew in value by 23.2% in 2016 compared to 2009.