Australia trade data: largest partner and 2025 trade overview

In DFAT's 2025 goods-and-services tables, China ranked first as both an export market and an import source. Australian exports to China of A$196.054 billion plus imports of A$130.207 billion give two-way trade of A$326.261 billion. DFAT 2025 trade factsheet.

This overview covers calendar year 2025 in Australian dollars (AUD), not US dollars or a partial 2026 result.

Source note: DFAT factsheet checked on 11 November 2026; its footer cites June 2026 goods statistics, CY2025 supplementary trade information and March 2026 balance-of-payments data.

Australia's trade partners: exports, imports and two-way trade

Two-way trade adds exports to imports; the balance subtracts imports from exports. They answer different questions: a large trading relationship need not produce a surplus.

The two-way trade column is calculated from DFAT’s A$ million inputs; rows are ordered by that calculated value, highest first. These are selected economies, not a newly constructed top-ten ranking. Partner figures combine recorded goods trade with balance-of-payments services and may exclude confidential commodities.

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How much did Australia trade in 2025?

DFAT reports exports of A$665.743 billion and imports of A$658.348 billion, on a balance-of-payments basis. Their sum is A$1,324.091 billion; exports minus imports gives a surplus of A$7.395 billion. These are goods-and-services measures, not a goods-only balance. DFAT trade factsheet.

The selected partner rows are not a reconciliation of the national total: their coverage and statistical basis differ.

What does Australia trade most?

DFAT's leading 2025 export categories were iron ore and concentrates (A$120.830 billion), coal (A$64.172 billion) and natural gas (A$60.173 billion). Its leading import categories were personal travel excluding education-related travel (A$68.533 billion), refined petroleum (A$43.776 billion) and passenger motor vehicles (A$34.466 billion). This ranking includes services; it is not an HS-chapter table. The published import-category ranking excludes aircraft imports made confidential by the ABS since September 2008 (HS 8802.40: aircraft other than helicopters with unladen weight over 15,000 kg). DFAT category tables.

How to use Australia trade data for a market decision

Start with the business question, then choose a matching dataset:

• To compare trading relationships, use the same period, currency and goods/services scope on both sides of every partner calculation.
• To size a physical product market, request a goods-only breakdown for the relevant HS code and edition. Do not compare a narrow product with an entire chapter or a services-inclusive total.
• To assess growth, compare like-for-like periods and distinguish monetary value from physical quantity; higher value alone does not establish higher demand or volume.
• To identify companies, check a separate product's source, permitted use, available fields and company roles. National totals do not establish individual company activity or roles.

For a corridor study, first decide whether you need an export market, an import source or the size of the two-way relationship. Then specify the partner, product definition and period; a large overall partner is not necessarily the leading market for your product.