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World's Top Exports

Trade metrics that inspire global thinking

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Trade Wars: China Versus Australia

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Red kangaroo, Australia's national animal
Red kangaroo, Australia’s national animal
Chinese and Australian exporters and importers exchanged a total of about US$136.8 billion worth of products, a figure that represents inter-country sales to customers in both nations during 2014.

Although China is the world’s number one exporter with global shipments valued almost 10 times higher than those for number 21 Australia, that doesn’t mean that Australia is devoid of competitive advantages doing business with its bigger international trade rival.

Sure, China maintains many profitable relationships encompassing a wide range of goods that it ships to its Australian customers due to an abundance of resources and generally lower wage costs. Less well-known is the fact that Australia still enjoys significant trade product strengths that result in counterbalancing positive cashflows from China, albeit from a specific set of resource products.

China Top 10

Chinese Product Advantages Versus Australia

Below are the top 10 goods for which China enjoyed a higher dollar value from its exports to Australia after subtracting what it spent on Australian imports for those same types of products. Technically, a country’s exports minus imports is known as “net exports” which can be a positive amount (indicating a surplus) or a negative number (indicating a deficit).

  1. Computers, optical readers: US$3.3 billion surplus win for China
  2. Phone system devices: $1.5 billion
  3. Miscellaneous furniture: $994 million
  4. Seats (excluding barber/dentist chairs): $862.6 million
  5. Women’s clothing (not knit or crochet): $771.7 million
  6. Lamps, lighting, illuminated signs: $644.9 million
  7. TV receivers/monitors/projectors: $609.8 million
  8. Processed petroleum oils: $607 million
  9. Miscellaneous iron and steel structures: $590.4 million
  10. Insulated wire/cable: $581 million

Among these, processed petroleum oils (up 981%) and unknitted and non-crocheted women’s clothing (up 56.9%) increased their net revenues for China from export sales to Australia by the highest percentages from 2012 to 2014.

Australia Top 10

The Winner Is



 
See also Australia’s Top 10 Exports, Highest Value Australian Export Products, China Major Product Supply Advantages and China’s Top Import Partners

Research Sources:
The World Factbook, Country Profiles, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on January 11, 2016

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on January 11, 2016

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on January 11, 2016







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