Download Page as PDF Printer Friendly Page
About Sydney and NSW > Trade and Investment

Composition of Exports

International exports of goods and services from NSW rose 8% to $51 billion in 2007-08.

Services is the largest export sector in New South Wales, accounting for more than 40% of total exports in 2007-08. New South Wales dominates exports of professional, financial and computer and information services in Australia, and is also the nation’ s largest provider of tourism and education related services to the international market.

The State’s large manufacturing industry makes up almost a quarter of total exports. Elaborately transformed manufactures such as medicinal and pharmaceutical products, electrical equipment and machinery represent more than two-thirds of New South Wales’ manufacturing exports, reflecting the State’s strengths in advanced manufacturing and high-technology goods.

Mining provided one-fifth of New South Wales’ exports. Australia as a whole is more reliant than New South Wales on mining exports, with Western Australia and Queensland the biggest exporters of mineral commodities. New South Wales has a significant agricultural export industry which is expected to recover from the effects of drought in 2007-08 and grow strongly in 2008-09.

Tourism is one of New South Wales’ largest exports. Tourism made up 17.8% of the State’s exports in 2006-07, compared to 10.4% for Australia’s exports.


Composition of Exports - New South Wales and Australia, 2007-08

Sector (1) NSW exports % Australian exports %
Services 40.7 22.1
Manufacturing 23.1 19.1
Elaborately transformed manufactures 16.2 12.5
Simply transformed manufactures 6.9 6.6
Agriculture 7.7 12.2
Mining 20.5 36.9
Other 8.1 9.7


Footnotes:
1 Sectors for merchandise exports are compiled using the Trade Exports Classification (TREC) and based on 6 digit HS Codes.

Agriculture = 111 Unprocessed food and live animals, 114 Unprocessed other (primary products) and 121 Processed foodMining = 112 Unprocessed fuels, 122 Processed fuels, 113 Unprocessed minerals and 123 Processed mineralsSimply transformed manufactures = 231 Simply transformed minerals, manufactures and metals, 232 Simply transformed chemicals and other semi manufactures and 234 Simply transformed other productsElaborately transformed manufactures = 241 Elaborately transformed mineral manufactures and metals, 242 Elaborately transformed chemicals and other semi manufactures, 243 Elaborately transformed engineering products and 244 Elaborately transformed other productsOther is other processed primary products, including rubber, simply worked wood and wood pulp, and processed textile fibres. Services exports cover services rendered by Australian residents to non-residents (credits) as recorded in Australia’s balance of payments.

Australian exports include exports not attributable to a specific state.

Source: Derived from World trade Atlas / ABS data, January 2009