Major trading partners – financial year results

The Northern Territory (NT) is geographically located close to major Asian economies including Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea and Indonesia and, as expected, these are the NT’s major trading partners. The NT also relies on goods imports from the United States of America (USA) and the European Union (EU), which are also identified as key trading partners. In this section, analysis on the NT's major trading partners is provided by financial year, for both exports and imports.

2020-21 Activity

Please note that some of the main items of trade have been confidentialised by the ABS due to sensitivity of specific commodities and limited sources of goods and merchandise, which makes suppliers easily identifiable.

Map 1: The Territory’s Major Goods Trading Partners, 2020-21^{1, 2}

1  Current prices.
2  This map is produced from various sources. Department of Treasury and Finance cannot guarantee the accuracy, currency or completeness of the information. To be used as a guide only.
3  Excluding special administrative regions (Macau and Hong Kong) and Taiwan.
Source: Department of Treasury and Finance, ABS, International Trade in Goods and Services, Cat. No. 5368.0

Japan

Japan was the NT’s largest export market, with exports decreasing 39.7% to $3.3 billion, reflecting decreases in confidential goods, likely liquefied natural gas.
Imported goods increased 32.0% to $136 million, due to an increase in road vehicles.

China

China was the NT’s second largest export market with exports decreasing 14.5% to $2.3 billion, driven by decreases in confidential items.
Imported goods decreased by 25.9% to $100 million, due to decreases in electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances and general industrial machinery and equipment.

Taiwan

Goods exported to Taiwan fell by 42.7% to $788 million, reflecting a decrease in confidential items.
Goods imported decreased by 35.1% to $37 million, due to decreases in petroleum and petroleum-related products.

Republic of Korea

Goods exported to The Republic of Korea rose 10.7% to $670 million, driven by an increase in confidential items (likely liquefied natural gas).
Goods imported rose 41.8% to $78 million, due to increases in petroleum and petroleum-related products.

Indonesia

Goods exported to Indonesia decreased by 17.2% to $390 million, driven by a decrease in live animal exports and confidential items.
Goods imported increased by 1.4% to $16 million, due to an increase in confidential items.

Singapore

Goods exported to Singapore increased by 59.5% to $614 million, due to an increase in confidential items.
Goods imported decreased by 51.4% to $154 million, due to decreases in petroleum, petroleum-related products.

Canada

Goods exported to Canada decreased by 23.9% to $153 million, due to decreases in confidential items and metalliferous ores and metal scrap.
Imported goods from Canada rose from $14 million to $17 million, reflecting an increase in power generating machinery and equipment.

Vietnam

Goods exported to Vietnam fell by 54.6% to $108 million, reflecting a decrease in live animal exports.
Goods imported was unchanged at $6 million.

Thailand

Goods exported to Thailand increased by 67.1% to $137 million, reflecting an increase in and confidential items.
Goods imported increased from $55 million to $98 million, due to increases in road vehicles.

Malaysia

Goods exported to Malaysia increased from $82 million to $152 million, reflecting an increase in confidential items and live animal exports.
Goods imported increased by 66.5% to $293 million, due to increases in petroleum and petroleum‑related products.

India

Goods exported to India rose 49.2% to $191 million, reflecting an increase in confidential items.
Goods imported rose 8.3% to $13 million, due to increases in electricity machinery, apparatus and appliances

United States of America

Goods exported to the USA was unchanged at $4 million.
Goods imported fell by 24.6% to $52 million, due to a decrease in power generating machinery and equipment and telecommunications.

European Union

The EU consists of 27 member states, Austria, Belgium (including Belgium Luxembourg), Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France (including the French Antilles), Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands (including the Netherlands Antilles), Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

Goods exported to the EU rose by 35.0% to $247 million, due to an increase in metalliferous ores and metal scraps.
Goods imported fell 33.9% to $72 million, due to decreases in transport equipment (excl. road vehicles) and electricity, machinery, apparatus and appliances.

Department of
Treasury and Finance

Northern Territory Economy