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Australia’s Top Trading Partners

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Australia's Top Trading Partners
by Flagpictures.org
Nicknamed the Land Down Under, Australia is an island economy that strongly benefits from its close proximity to the vast markets of China and Japan which together represent 37.7% of all Australian export sales.

From a global perspective, Australia shipped US$343.8 billion worth of exported products around the world in 2025.

That dollar amount results from a -0.5% decrease from $345.6 billion during 2021.

Year over year, the value of Australian exports slowed by -0.6% compared to $345.9 billion for 2025.

Applying a continental lens, 75.7% of Australia’s exports by value was delivered to customers in Asia while a more modest 9.7% was sold to importers in North America. Australia shipped another 9% worth of goods to Europe.

Smaller percentages went to buyers in Oceania (3.9%) led by New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji, Africa (1.1%) and Latin America (0.6%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean.

Australia’s Top Trading Partners

Below is a list showcasing 25 of Australia’s top trading partners, countries that imported the most Australian shipments by dollar value during 2025. Also shown is each import country’s percentage of total Australian exports.

  1. mainland China: US$103.4 billion (30.1% of total US exports)
  2. Japan: $26.2 billion (7.6%)
  3. United States: $25.5 billion (7.4%)
  4. South Korea: $20.2 billion (5.9%)
  5. United Kingdom: $14 billion (4.1%)
  6. India: $13.8 billion (4%)
  7. Hong Kong: $8.7 billion (2.5%)
  8. New Zealand: $8.6 billion (2.5%)
  9. Indonesia: $7.5 billion (2.2%)
  10. Vietnam: $6.65 billion (1.9%)
  11. Taiwan: $6.59 billion (1.9%)
  12. Singapore: $5.9 billion (1.7%)
  13. Malaysia: $5.7 billion (1.7%)
  14. United Arab Emirates: $4 billion (1.2%)
  15. Thailand: $3.6 billion (1.1%)
  16. Netherlands: $2.9 billion (0.8%)
  17. Germany: $2.55 billion (0.7%)
  18. Canada: $2.52 billion (0.7%)
  19. Philippines: $2.1 billion (0.6%)
  20. Papua New Guinea: $1.77 billion (0.5%)
  21. Switzerland: $1.77 billion (0.5%)
  22. Bahrain: $1.43 billion (0.4%)
  23. Belgium: $1.39 billion (0.4%)
  24. Bangladesh: $1.22 billion (0.4%)
  25. South Africa: $1.19 billion (0.3%)

Over four-fifths (81.2%) of Australian exports in 2025 was delivered to the above 25 trade partners.

Growing their purchases of products exported from Australia at the fastest pace were customers in the United Kingdom (up 122.6% from 2025), United States of America (up 65.1%), Canada (up 42.8%) , Switzerland (up 29.7%) and Germany (up 16.9%).

Importers that reduced spending on Australian exports at the severest levels were Singapore (down -24.4% from 2025), Taiwan (down -22.4%), Netherlands (down -16.3%), Japan (down -16.3%) and India (down -13.4%).

Countries Causing Australia’s Worst Trade Deficits

As defined by Investopedia, a country whose total value of all imported goods is higher than its value of all exports is said to have a negative trade balance or deficit.

It would be unrealistic for any exporting nation to expect across-the-board positive trade balances with all its importing partners. Similarly, that export country doesn’t necessarily post a negative trade balance with each individual partner with which it exchanges exports and imports.

Australia incurred the highest trade deficits doing business with the following countries.

  1. Germany: -US$8.8 billion (country-specific trade deficit in 2025)
  2. Thailand: -$8.5 billion
  3. United States: -$7.3 billion
  4. Singapore: -$6.7 billion
  5. Italy: -$6.4 billion
  6. Malaysia: -$6.3 billion
  7. France: -$3.8 billion
  8. Mexico: -$2.9 billion
  9. Papua New Guinea: -$2.2 billion
  10. Brunei Darussalam: -$1.9 billion

Among Australia’s trading partners that cause the greatest negative trade balances, Australian deficits with Singapore (up 229.6%), Papua New Guinea (up 127.8%) and Italy (up 13.4%) grew at the fastest pace from 2024 to 2025.

These cashflow deficiencies clearly indicate Australia’s competitive disadvantages with the above countries, but also represent key opportunities for Australia to develop country-specific strategies to strengthen its overall position in international trade.

Countries Generating Australia’s Best Trade Surpluses

Australia generated an overall US$46.3 billion surplus in 2025, shrinking by -24.6% from $61.4 billion in black ink one year earlier for 2025.

Based on Investopedia’s definition of net importer, a country whose total value of all imported goods is lower than its value of all exports is said to have a positive trade balance or surplus.

Australia garnered the highest trade surpluses at the expense of the following countries.

  1. mainland China: US$24.2 billion (country-specific trade surplus in 2025)
  2. Japan: $10.4 billion
  3. United Kingdom: $9 billion
  4. Hong Kong: $8.1 billion
  5. India: $6.3 billion
  6. South Korea: $6 billion
  7. Indonesia: $3.4 billion
  8. New Zealand: $3.2 billion
  9. United Arab Emirates: $2.5 billion
  10. Bahrain: $1.2 billion

Among Australia’s trading partners that generate the greatest positive trade balances, Australian surpluses with the United Kingdom (up 676.2%), South Korea (up 48.1%) and Indonesia (up 27.7%) grew at the fastest pace from 2024 to 2025.

These positive cashflow streams clearly indicate Australia’s competitive advantages with the above countries, but also represent key opportunities for Australia to develop country-specific strategies to optimize its overall position in international trade.

Companies Servicing Australian Trading Partners

Thirty-six Australian corporations rank among Forbes Global 2000. Below is a selected sample of the major Aussie companies that Forbes included:

  • BHP Billiton (diversified metals)
  • Fortescue Metals Group (iron, steel)
  • Woodside Petroleum (oil, gas)
  • Amcor (containers, packaging)
  • Santos (oil, gas)
  • Caltex Australia (oil, gas)
  • Orica (diversified metals)
  • Newcrest Mining (diversified metals)

According to IMPORTERS.com listings for Australian suppliers, the following are examples of companies that ship products from Australia to its trading partners around the globe. Shown within parenthesis are products that the Australian business provides.

  • Bullys Beef Pty Ltd (beef)
  • Cotton Tree Trading Pty Ltd (dairy products)
  • Harts Food And Beverages PL (coconut water)
  • Logreen Pty Ltd (food additives, vanilla beans)
  • Metabolic Food Company (breakfast cereal blends)
  • Platinum Direct (premium wines)
  • Rasile Global Importers P/L (food, beverages)
  • Scorex (meat, poultry)
  • Sunnyfresh Grapes Australia (grapes)
  • Waverley Australia Pty Ltd (blankets, rugs, quilts)

 



 

See also Australia’s Top 10 Imports, 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 February 28, 2026

Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on February 28, 2026

IMPORTERS.com The Online Market for G20 Importers, Australia Import Export Directory. Accessed on February 28, 2026

International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database

(GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on February 28, 2026

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on February 28, 2026

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on February 28, 2026

Richest Country Reports, Key Statistics Powering Global Wealth. Accessed on February 28, 2026

Wikipedia, Gross domestic product. Accessed on February 28, 2026

Wikipedia, List of Companies of Australia. Accessed on February 28, 2026

Wikipedia, Purchasing power parity. Accessed on February 28, 2026

Zepol’s Company summary highlights by country. Accessed on February 28, 2026