
Based on the average exchange rate for 2021, the Australian dollar depreciated by -2.3% against the US dollar since 2017 but strengthened by 8.3% from 2020 to 2021. Australia’s stronger local currency since 2020 makes Australian imports paid for in weaker US dollars relatively less expensive when converted starting from the Australian dollar.
The biggest imports into Australia by dollar value are processed petroleum oils, cars, phone devices including smartphones, trucks, computers, crude oil and medication mixes in dosage. Collectively, those commodities represent 29.7% of the value for all products that Australia imported during 2021.
From a continental perspective, over three-fifths (61.9%) of Australia’s total imports by value in 2021 were purchased from Asian countries. Trade partners in Europe accounted for 20.2% of international purchases by Australia while 12.4% worth came from North America.
Fellows islands and other territories in the Oceania continent were responsible for 3.1% of Australia’s imports led by customers in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
Smaller percentages came from exporters in Africa (1.4%) and Latin America (1%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean.
Given Australia’s population of 25.7 million people, its total $248.2 billion in 2021 imports translates to roughly $9,700 in yearly product demand from every person in the largest Oceanian country. That per-capita average compares with $7,900 in 2020.
Australia’s Top 10 Imports
Top 10
The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in Australia’s import purchases during 2021. Also shown is the percentage share each product category represents in terms of overall imports into Australia.
- Machinery including computers: US$36.8 billion (14.8% of total imports)
- Vehicles: $33.3 billion (13.4%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $28.1 billion (11.3%)
- Mineral fuels including oil: $25.7 billion (10.4%)
- Pharmaceuticals: $10.7 billion (4.3%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $9.3 billion (3.7%)
- Gems, precious metals: $7.7 billion (3.1%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $7.3 billion (2.9%)
- Articles of iron or steel: $5.6 billion (2.3%)
- Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefabricated buildings: $5.6 billion (2.2%)
Australia’s top 10 imports accounted for over two-thirds (68.4%) of the overall value of its product purchases from other countries.
The fastest increases in value among the top 10 import categories from 2020 to 2021 belong to mineral fuels including (up 51.2%), vehicles (up 39.9%) and items made from iron or steel (up 26.6%).
The sole decliner for top Australian imports was the gems and precious metals category (down -11.9%) weighed down by lower spending on gold.
Please note that the results listed above are at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level. Information presented under other virtual folder tabs is at the more granular 4-digit level.
Machinery
In 2021, Australian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machinery.
- Computers, optical readers: US$8.2 billion (up 14.1% from 2020)
- Heavy machinery (e.g. bulldozers, excavators, road rollers): $2.4 billion (up 46.6%)
- Machinery parts: $1.6 billion (up 9.8%)
- Taps, valves, similar appliances: $1.5 billion (up 22.8%)
- Refrigerators, freezers: $1.3 billion (up 18.6%)
- Miscellaneous machinery: $1.3 billion (up 36.9%)
- Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $1.2 billion (up 3.5%)
- Air conditioners: $1.2 billion (up 17.5%)
- Harvest/threshing machinery: $1.2 billion (up 58.6%)
- Turbo-jets: $1.2 billion (up 15.9%)
Among these import subcategories, Australian purchases of harvesting and threshing machinery (up 58.6%), heavy machinery such as bulldozers, excavators or road rollers (up 46.6%) then miscellaneous machinery (up 36.9%) grew at the fastest pace from 2020 to 2021.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported machinery among Australian businesses and consumers.
Vehicles
In 2021, Australian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of vehicles.
- Cars: US$17.6 billion (up 36.9% from 2020)
- Trucks: $8.8 billion (up 49.9%)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $2.4 billion (up 33%)
- Tractors: $1.3 billion (up 46.1%)
- Trailers: $888.5 million (up 61.7%)
- Motorcycles: $785.6 million (up 70.2%)
- Special purpose vehicles: $398.4 million (up 36.6%)
- Bicycles, other non-motorized cycles: $278.2 million (up 20.6%)
- Motorcycle parts/accessories: $198.5 million (up 24.2%)
- Armored vehicles, tanks: $152.9 million (down -5.6%)
Among these import subcategories, Australian purchases of motorcycles (up 70.2%), trailers (up 61.7%) then trucks (up 49.9%) grew at the fastest pace from 2020 to 2021.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported vehicles among Australian businesses and consumers.
Electronics
In 2021, Australian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of electronics-related products.
- Phone devices including smartphones: US$9.1 billion (up 15.6% from 2020)
- TV receivers/monitors/projectors: $2.2 billion (up 24.4%)
- Insulated wire/cable: $1.5 billion (up 35.5%)
- Electrical converters/power units: $1.5 billion (up 14.9%)
- Solar power diodes/semi-conductors: $1.4 billion (up 16.5%)
- Electric water heaters, hair dryers: $1.2 billion (up 13.8%)
- Electric storage batteries: $1.2 billion (up 53.8%)
- Microphones/headphones/amps: $1.1 billion (up 10%)
- TV receiver/transmit/digital cameras: $974.4 million (up 28.6%)
- Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $795.7 million (up 17.9%)
Among these import subcategories, Australian purchases of electric storage batteries (up 53.8%), insulated wire or cable (up 35.5%) then television receivers, transmitters and digital cameras (up 28.6%) grew at the fastest pace from 2020 to 2021.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported electronics among Australian businesses and consumers.
Fuel
In 2021, Australian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of mineral fuel-related products.
- Processed petroleum oils: US$19 billion (up 66.3% from 2020)
- Crude oil: $5.6 billion (up 17.4%)
- Petroleum oil residues: $651 million (up 38.9%)
- Petroleum gases: $216.2 million (up 38.4%)
- Coke, semi-coke: $112.5 million (up 96.5%)
- Tar pitch, coke: $51.4 million (up 39.3%)
- Petroleum jelly, mineral waxes: $37 million (up 28.2%)
- Coal tar oils (high temperature distillation): $24.6 million (up 6.9%)
- Peat: $18.4 million (up 27.6%)
- Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $18.1 million (down -38.9%)
Among these import subcategories, Australian purchases of coke or semi-coke (up 96.5%), processed petroleum oils (up 66.3%) then tar pitch and coke (up 39.3%) grew at the fastest pace from 2020 to 2021.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported fuel among Australian businesses and consumers.
See also Australia’s Top Trading Partners, Australia’s Top 10 Exports and Australia’s Top 10 Major Export Companies
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles. Accessed on March 14, 2022
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on March 14, 2022
Imported Consumer Products, Australia’s Top 100 Imported Consumer Products. Accessed on June 20, 2021
International Monetary Fund, Exchange Rates selected indicators (National Currency per U.S. dollar, period average). Accessed on March 14, 2022
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on March 14, 2022
Richest Country Reports, Key Statistics Powering Global Wealth. Accessed on March 14, 2022