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About Sydney and NSW > Trade and Investment

Composition of Exports

New South Wales' exports of goods and services rose almost 7% to $47 billion in 2006-07.

The largest export sector in New South Wales is services, which accounted for more than 40% of total exports in 2006-07. Traditional strengths in tourism and education, as well as expanding markets for a wide range of business and technical services, support New South Wales' dominance in services exports.

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 metal products represent two thirds of New South Wales' manufacturing exports, reflecting the State's strengths in advanced manufacturing and high-technology goods.

Mining is Australia's largest industry for exports, comprising over a third of the national total, and 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 in this industry. New South Wales has a significant agricultural export industry which is expected to grow strongly in 2008 on the back of improved weather forecasts.

Tourism is one of New South Wales' largest exports. The latest available data shows that tourism made up 18.4% of the State's exports in 2003-04, compared to 13.3% of Australia’s exports.


Composition of Exports - New South Wales and Australia, 2006-07

Sector (1) NSW exports % Australian exports %
Services 40.5 21.6
Manufacturing 24.3 20.3
Elaborately transformed manufactures 16.7 13.1
Simply transformed manufactures 7.6 7.2
Agriculture 10.6 10.4
Mining 19.0 34.7
Other 5.6 13.0


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 121 Live Animals and Processed Food
Mining = 112 Unprocessed Fuels, 122 Processed Fuels, 113 Unprocessed Minerals and 123 Processed Minerals 
Simply Transformed Manufactures = 231 Simply Transformed Minerals Manufactures and Metals, 232 Simply Transformed Chemicals and Other Semi Manufactures, 234 Simply Transformed Other Products
Elaborately 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 Products

2. Services exports cover services rendered by Australian residents to non-residents (credits) as recorded in Australia's balance of payments.

Source: Derived from ABS data on request (preliminary), November 2007