The Australia-China
In 2022, China bought 1.1 billion tonnes of iron ore, 65% of which were from Australia. For Beijing, commodities from Australia are important for its efforts to revive the pandemic-hit economy. Iron ore, for example, is a vital component of its steel industry.
Iron ore, gas and coal make up the bulk of Australian exports to China (more than AUD 79 billion), but Australian service industries – led by education and tourism – are a growing part of the trade relationship.
Australian trade is hard-wired into the fastest-growing countries. Seventy-five per cent of our trade is with dynamic economies in the Asia region. Preferential access to Asian markets also makes us a natural springboard for global companies. We are a migrant nation.
Data released on Thursday showed exports of Australian goods to China hit 19 billion Australian dollars ($12.71bn) in March, a rise of 31 percent from a year earlier and pipping the previous peak from mid-2021.
In 2021, Australia exported $138B to China. The main products exported from Australia to China were Iron Ore ($95.7B), Petroleum Gas ($15B), and Gold ($5.86B). During the last 26 years the exports of Australia to China have increased at an annualized rate of 17.2%, from $2.24B in 1995 to $138B in 2021.
China buys more of Australia's agricultural produce than any other country. ChAFTA provides Australia with an advantage over our major agricultural competitors, including the United States, Canada and the European Union. It also counters the advantages Chile and New Zealand have enjoyed through their FTAs with China.
Australia has plentiful supplies of natural resources, including the second largest accessible reserves of iron ore in the world, the fifth largest reserves of coal and significant gas resources. For a long time, commodities have made up a sizeable share of our exports.
Firstly, fulfilling our moral obligation as a prosperous nation to aid those in our region who have been struck by disaster. Second, supporting states whose success and stability is closely linked to Australia's self-interest.
The worth of financial assets would fall by one fifth on average, and by one quarter in Australia. An end to trade across a bamboo curtain would hit Australia, since we export more resources to China than anywhere else and we import more goods from China than anywhere else.
China has reportedly removed all the remaining restrictions on Australian coal imports, signaling an end to trade restrictions imposed in late 2020. The move will further enhance the business confidence of those engaging in bilateral trade between the two countries.
seafood (particularly saltwater shell fish such as oysters, crabs, lobster and abalone) fresh fruits (citrus, table grapes, cherries and mangoes) oats and other breakfast cereals. chilled and frozen beef.
China is Australia's largest two-way trading partner in goods and services, accounting for nearly one third (32.2 per cent) of our trade with the world.
volumes of foreign-owned water
Of the 4,389GL of water entitlement in foreign hands, 71.4 percent of it is held by the top 10 countries that invest in the asset class. The list is rounded out by France, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland.
At the 2021 census, 1,390,637 Australian residents identified themselves as having Chinese ancestry, accounting for 5.5% of the total population.
The world's 12th largest economy
Strong growth in 2021 solidified Australia's position as the world's 12th largest economy in 2021. Nominal GDP was around A$2.2 trillion (US$1.6 trillion) in 2021. Australia is home to just 0.3% of the world's population, but accounts for 1.7% of the global economy.
Collectively, Australian households have a staggering $14 trillion in wealth and the number is steadily growing. This ranks us at number four globally in terms of wealth per capita, behind Switzerland, the US and Hong Kong.
Australia ranks amongst the highest in the world for quality of life, health, education, economic freedom, civil liberties and political rights.
On a mean wealth basis, Australia was the fourth-richest country in 2021 behind Switzerland, the US and Hong Kong.
Australia is a highly developed country with a mixed economy. As of 2023, Australia was the 13th-largest national economy by nominal GDP (gross domestic product), the 19th-largest by PPP-adjusted GDP, and was the 20th-largest goods exporter and 24th-largest goods importer.
Australia's average wealth is just 1.8 times our median wealth; by contrast the UK's is 2.2 times greater, while the US is second worst out of the top 50, at 6.7 times.
From Japan, Australia imports vehicles, refined petroleum, machinery and tyres. More recently, Japanese investment into Australia has been expanding into renewables; financial services; infrastructure; information and communications technology; property; food; and agribusiness.
Aircraft, soybeans, motor vehicles and microchips are top U.S. exports to China. Since 2001, the share of these exports going to China has increased sharply. Soybeans and motor vehicles are targets of recent Chinese tariffs. Production of these two exports is geographically concentrated.
China has been Australia's top consumer of iron ore for decades, accounting for 80 per cent of our exports of the mineral in 2021. Export revenue has delivered long-standing profits to Australian miners and boosted the country's tax revenue.