Export facts & figures

New South Wales (NSW) has a diverse export base consisting of resources, manufacturing and services.

In 2009-10, NSW’ merchandise (goods) exports totalled $31 billion.

NSW dominates the services trade by accounting for 40% of all Australian services exports in 2009 (worth $21 billion).

Top 5 services exports from NSW in 2009 included:

  • Travel services (mainly education-related) accounting for $12 billion or 55% of NSW services exports;
  • business services (such as professional and management consulting, legal, accounting, architectural and engineering services) accounting for $4.1 billion;
  • transportation services accounting for $2.4 billion;
  • financial services accounting for $1.2 billion; and
  • telecommunications, computer and information services accounting for $956 million.

Top 10 New South Wales Merchandise Export Markets and Share of Australian Exports, 2009-101

Country NSW2 ($ million) Australia3 ($ million) % of total NSW exports % of total Australian exports
Japan 8,352 37,070 26.7 18.5
China 3,221 46,024 10.3 23.0
Korea 3,124 16,530 10.0 8.3
United States 2,279 9,543 7.3 4.8
New Zealand 2,201 8,041 7.0 4.0
Taiwan 1,726 6,855 5.5 3.4
India 1,125 16,096 3.6 8.0
Indonesia 764 4,323 2.4 2.2
Thailand 663 4,700 2.1 2.3
Malaysia 541 3,126 1.7 1.6
Sub-total 23,994 152,308 76.8 76.1
Total4 31,246 200,069 100.0 100.0

1. Trade data based on Customs recorded value

2. New South Wales’ exports exclude re-exports (re-export data for New South Wales not available by country). According to Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) State Accounts, total New South Wales’ merchandise exports, including re-exports, were $43,270 million in 2008-09. The trade figures in the State Accounts are on a balance of payments basis, which adjusts Customs recorded trade data to record transactions in the period in which ownership changed hands

3. Australian exports include re-exports.

4. Including re-exports, New South Wales’ percentage share of Australian merchandise exports in 2008-09 was 18.8%.

Source: ABS trade data on request, August 2010 (preliminary)

Top 10 Merchandise Exports - New South Wales, 2009-101

Goods $ million % of total NSW exports
Coal, coke and briquettes 8,534 27.3
Metalliferous ores and metal scrap 2,223 7.1
Non-ferrous metals 2,136 6.8
Medicinal and pharmaceutical products 1,390 4.4
Meat and meat preparations 1,131 3.6
Petroleum, petroleum products and related materials2 1,116 3.6
Cereals and cereal preparations 961 3.1
Professional, scientific and controlling instruments and apparatus 907 2.9
Miscellaneous manufactured articles3 884 2.8
Textile fibres and their wastes, not manufactured into yarn or fabric 855 2.7
Sub-total 20,136 64.4
Total 31,246 100.0

1. New South Wales’ exports exclude re-exports (re-export data for New South Wales not available by commodity). According to ABS State Accounts figures, total New South Wales’ merchandise exports, including re-exports, were $43,270 million in 2008-09. The trade figures in the State Accounts are on a balance of payments basis, which adjusts Customs recorded trade data to record transactions in the period in which ownership changed hands.

2. Predominantly ship and aircraft stores (i.e. fuel loaded onto foreign owned vessels and aircraft to be consumed during international journeys)

3. Not elsewhere specified under a Division of the Standard International Trade Classification (SITC Rev 4)

Export Markets by Region - New South Wales (%)1

Region 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10
ASEAN countries2 12.7 12.2 11.8 12.7 10.2 10.0
Other Asia3 48.4 49.2 49.3 50.9 59.1 57.7
European Union 274 8.1 7.6 7.5 7.1 6.3 5.1
North America5 9.5 9.4 8.6 8.0 7.4 7.7
Rest of World 21.4 21.6 22.8 21.3 17.0 19.4

1. Merchandise exports only.

2. ASEAN countries include Burma, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

3. Other Asia comprises China, Hong Kong SAR, Taiwan, India, Pakistan, Japan and Korea.

4. EU countries included are Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Added in 2004-05: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovak Republic and Slovenia, following their admission to the EU in May 2004. Bulgaria and Romania joined on 1 January 2007 and are first included in 2007-08 data.

5. North America is the United States and Canada.

Source: ABS 5368.0, September 2010