In 2022, Australia’s top 100 imported consumer products attracting the most spending totaled US$171.2 billion. That dollar metric represents 59.1% of the overall value of all Australian imported products ($289.4 billion), up from 57.1% one year prior in 2021.

The 5 most valuable consumer products imported into Australia during 2022 were refined petroleum oils, cars, trucks, mobile phones and computers.

Year over year, the total dollar amount for Australia’s top 100 imported consumer products rose by 20.2% from $171.2 billion in 2021. That percentage outpaces the 16.3% year-over-year upturn encompassing all of Australia’s imported goods.

Expanding the timeline to the past 5 years, Australia’s 100 leading consumer imports appreciated by 34.1% since 2018. Again, that percentage exceeds the 27.1% advance including all Australian imported commodities.

Among the top 100 consumer products imported by Australia, 77 increased in total sales from 2021 to 2022 whereas 23 declined.

Changes in Australian consumer demand for essential imports offer future opportunities for international suppliers who correctly anticipate which upward or downward trends will continue.

Consumer Products Defined

Economics educator BoyceWire defines a consumer product as a final good or end product that a business creates for consumers to buy. For example, consumers often purchase refined petroleum oil at the gas station while imported crude oil is an intermediate good subject to further processing before being sold to end users.

Although there may be a few wealthy individual buyers, products like turbojets are excluded from the consumer products targeted by this study. That is because turbojets are usually purchased by corporations. On the other hand, it is common for a consumer to buy a motorcycle, car or truck.

Types of Consumer Products

This article focuses on 3 distinct consumer product types.

Convenience Products are easy to access, non-durable, have relatively lower prices and therefore consumers frequently purchase them. Examples of convenience products are food, alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks, and soap.

Shopping Products are not as easily available, involve more time to make a buying decision, are durable and are not bought as often as most convenience products. A great example of a shopping product is a mobile phone where buying an outdated model is a much more expensive mistake than buying a stale loaf of bread.

Speciality Products describe another consumer product type. This grey area includes infrequently purchased, expensive, durable and sometimes rare items. Consumers may consider the product’s brand image when making their purchase decisions. Some examples of speciality products are gold, silver, diamonds, jewelry, and branded refrigerators and dishwashers.

Australia’s Most Valuable Imported Convenience Products

The list below showcases the most valuable imported convenience products on which buyers in Australia spent the most. Items were selected at the four-digit Harmonized System tariff classification code level and are presented in descending order.

You can also peruse the greatest increases or decreases in product values from 2021 to 2022 by focusing on the percentages displayed to the right of each product name.

Processed petroleum oils: US$37,356,021,000 (up 95.9%)
Medications: $6,977,093,000 (up 24.8%)
Miscellaneous food preparations: $1,624,157,000 (down -0.2%)
Miscellaneous plastic items: $1,181,871,000 (down -0.6%)
Plastic packing goods, lids, caps: $1,112,797,000 (up 6.2%)
Bread, biscuits, cakes, pastries: $830,641,000 (up 3.9%)
Alcohol (including spirits, liqueurs): $788,768,000 (up 19.2%)
Wine $720,906,000 (down -1%)
Coffee: $674,707,000 (up 32.2%)
Plastic wares (table, kitchen, toiletry): $573,662,000 (down -0.01%)
Cheese, curd: $547,446,000 (up 2%)
Other organic cleaning preparations: $533,030,000 (up 10.8%)
Swine meat: $523,291,000 (down -0.5%)
Fish, caviar (preserved/prepared): $513,184,000 (up 23.5%)
Sauces, condiments, seasoning: $464,668,000 (up 6%)
Chocolate, other cocoa preparations: $440,445,000 (down -6.1%)
Perfumes, toilet waters: $435,444,000 (up 20%)
Sanitary towels, baby napkins/liners: $398,069,000 (up 6%)
Waters with added sugar: $374,388,000 (up 0.3%)
Cigars/cigarellos, cigarettes: $366,372,000 (down -8.8%)
Pasta, couscous: $325,060,000 (up 19.1%)
Crustaceans (including lobsters): $310,262,000 (up 34.5%)
Fish fillets, pieces: $307,960,000 (up 9.3%)
Miscellaneous preserved fruits: $295,699,000 (up 8.3%)

The listed convenience products lead Australia’s second-most popular import product type tied with speciality goods but behind the leading category namely shopping products.

Non-durable consumer products are goods that are not re-used once consumed. Alcoholic beverages and bananas are examples of non-durable goods. Convenience products are uniquely non-durable consumer products.

Australia’s Most Valuable Imported Shopping Products

The following list highlights the most valuable imported shopping products on which buyers in Australia spent the greatest amounts. Items were selected at the four-digit Harmonized System tariff classification code level and are presented from highest to lowest total amounts.

The percentages displayed to the right of each product name reveal the highest increases or decreases in Australian spending on that specific type of shopping product from 2021 to 2022.

Cars: US$19,196,458,000 (up 9.3%)
Trucks: $9,314,411,000 (up 5.9%)
Phone devices including smartphones: $8,848,279,000 (down -2.7%)
Computers, optical readers: $8,586,337,000 (up 4.6%)
Automobile parts/accessories: $2,555,219,000 (up 4.8%)
Rubber tires (new): $2,540,584,000 (up 7.1%)
Miscellaneous furniture: $2,149,980,000 (up 3.9%)
Insulated wire/cable: $1,671,889,000 (up 10.6%)
Seats (not barber/dentist chairs): $1,599,808,000 (down -0.5%)
Electrical converters/power units: $1,563,201,000 (up 7.5%)
Packaged insecticides, herbicides: $1,547,438,000 (up 27.6%)
Orthopedic appliances: $1,517,766,000 (down -5.6%)
Cases, handbags, wallets: $1,511,038,000 (up 23.5%)
Women’s clothing (not knit/crochet): $1,440,199,000 (up 14.1%)
Tractors: $1,434,072,000 (up 13%)
Miscellaneous toys: $1,337,428,000 (down -0.1%)
Microphones/headphones/amps: $1,195,720,000 (up 4.9%)
Trailers: $988,864,000 (up 10.9%)
Miscellaneous iron or steel items: $953,314,000 (up 10.1%)
Footwear (leather): $937,799,000 (up 16.9%)
Video console games, table games: $901,068,000 (up 21.1%)
Sports equipment: $895,627,000 (down -10.4%)
Jerseys, pullovers (knit or crochet): $889,392,000 (up 6%)
Printing machinery: $867,475,000 (down -2.8%)
T-shirts, vests (knit or crochet): $856,403,000 (up 10.5%)
Motorcycles: $855,170,000 (up 8.6%)
Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $823,205,000 (up 3.2%)
Men’s suits (unknit/non-crochet): $767,394,000 (up 17.3%)
Screws, bolts, washers, hooks, pins: $721,608,000 (up 10.2%)
Linens: $718,804,000 (up 4.5%)
Footwear (textile): $710,063,000 (up 20.3%)
Miscellaneous textile items: $690,819,000 (up 14.3%)
Women’s clothing (knit or crochet): $604,252,000 (up 4.7%)
Mattresses, quilts: $594,371,000 (up 4.3%)
Computer parts, accessories: $580,395,000 (down -12.7%)
Yachts, canoes, row boats: $575,662,000 (up 9.6%)
Unrecorded sound media: $475,305,000 (down -9.3%)
Vulcanized rubber items: $459,098,000 (up 13.6%)
Footwear (rubber or plastic): $421,572,000 (up 20.7%)
Paper containers, cellulose wadding: $398,815,000 (up 7.6%)
Wrist/pocket watches (precious case): $357,495,000 (up 23.7%)
Plastic tile or roll coverings: $345,630,000 (up 14.2%)
Men’s shirts (not knit or crochet): $343,184,000 (up 25.2%)
Wrist/pocket watches (regular case): $337,324,000 (up 14.8%)
Miscellaneous aluminum items: $334,432,000 (up 2.9%)
Hair preparations: $332,740,000 (up 7.5%)
Soap, organic surface-active goods: $322,648,000 (up 15%)
Printed books, brochures: $315,714,000 (down -7.9%)
Bicycles, other non-motorized cycles: $311,511,000 (up 11.3%)
Other pharmaceutical goods: $308,444,000 (up 1.3%)
Women’s underwear (knit/crochet): $307,764,000 (up 7.6%)
Iron/steel tables, household items: $283,322,000 (down -7.8%)

Australia’s most popular imported product type is shopping products led by vehicles-related goods and technology items.

As a product category, shopping products exceeded half (52) of Australia’s top 100 imported consumer goods.

Durable consumer products are goods like cars, refrigerators and furniture that last a relatively long time. Consumers can put durable products to use again and again. Note that shopping products and speciality products are considered as durable consumer products.

Australia’s Most Valuable Imported Speciality Products

Speciality products represent the category with the fewest entries among Australia’s imports that attracted the Oceanian country’s greatest spending on imported consumer goods during 2022.

Selected at the four-digit Harmonized System tariff classification code level, the most valuable speciality items are listed in descending order below.

The percentage to the right of each product name reveal highest increases or decreases in 2022 compared to 2021.

Gold (unwrought): US$4,849,524,000 (down -0.9%)
Nitrogenous fertilizers: $2,341,720,000 (up 77.9%)
Electric storage batteries: $1,589,703,000 (up 29.4%)
Jewelry: $1,495,473,000 (up 19.4%)
Refrigerators, freezers: $1,436,856,000 (up 11.9%)
Electric water heaters, hair dryers: $1,289,257,000 (up 4.1%)
Fertilizer mixes: $1,286,178,000 (up 44.6%)
Air conditioners: $1,258,277,000 (up 3.6%)
Liquid pumps: $1,091,464,000 (up 11.3%)
Beauty/makeup/skin care: $968,804,000 (up 9.7%)
Electric motors, not generating sets: $899,711,000 (up 30.1%)
Temperature-change machines: $760,545,000 (up 6.1%)
Silver (unwrought): $725,942,000 (up 29.6%)
Household base metal mountings: $700,725,000 (up 3.9%)
Vacuum cleaners: $628,327,000 (up 35.1%)
Dishwash, clean/dry/fill machines: $613,278,000 (down -6%)
Diamonds (unmounted/unset): $430,042,000 (down -16.5%)
Electric generating sets, converters: $412,635,000 (down -2%)
Spectacles, goggles: $411,910,000 (up 10.5%)
Special hand/machine tools: $376,234,000 (up 4.3%)
Iron/steel stoves, barbecues: $369,773,000 (down -3.6%)
Washing machines: $362,042,000 (up 18.7%)
Compasses, other navigational aids: $320,848,000 (down -10.4%)
Potassic fertilizers: $300,069,000 (up 38.8%)

Like the shopping products category, speciality products are considered as durable consumer products.

Based on the product types identified in the sections above, 76 of Australia’s 100 highest-value consumer shopper plus speciality products are durable while the remaining 24 convenience products are classified as non-durable.

Overall Fastest-Growing Consumer Imports

Listed below are the top 10 consumer products imported into Australia that experienced the highest percentage increases in spending from 2021 to 2022.

Processed petroleum oils: Up 95.9% (US$37.4 billion)
Nitrogenous fertilizers: Up 77.9% ($2.34 billion)
Fertilizer mixes: Up 44.6% ($1.3 billion)
Potassic fertilizers: Up 38.8% ($300.1 million)
Vacuum cleaners: Up 35.1% ($628.3 million)
Crustaceans (including lobsters): Up 34.5% ($310.3 million)
Coffee: Up 32.2% ($674.7 million)
Electric motors, not generating sets: Up 30.1% ($899.7 million)
Silver (unwrought): Up 29.6% ($725.9 million)
Electric storage batteries: Up 29.4% ($1.6 billion)

Among the above top gainers, 3 items are non-durable consumer goods. These are convenience products, specifically processed petroleum oils, crustaceans including lobsters, and coffee. Consumers typically consider these items as non-durable products commonly referred to as disposable goods and therefore are used only once.

Drilling down, 7 of the durable items are speciality items that require a comparatively longer time to make a buying decision. Falling into the speciality category are fertilizer-related products, vacuum cleaners, electric motors excluding generators, silver and electric storage batteries.

Not one of the top 10 gainers belonged to the shopping products category.

Overall Worst-Declining Consumer Imports

Australia’s spending on the following items decreased at the greatest pace from 2021 to 2022.

Diamonds (unmounted/unset): Down -16.5% (US$430 million)
Computer parts, accessories: Down -12.7% ($580.4 million)
Sports equipment: Down -10.4% ($895.6 million)
Compasses, other navigational aids: Down -10.4% ($320.8 million)
Unrecorded sound media: Down -9.3% ($475.3 million)
Cigars/cigarellos, cigarettes: Down -8.8% ($366.4 million)
Printed books, brochures: Down -7.9% ($315.6 million)
Iron/steel tables, household items: Down -7.8% ($283.3 million)
Chocolate, other cocoa preparations: Down -6.1% ($440.4 million)
Dishwashing, cleaning, drying, filling machines: Down -6% ($613.3 million)

Two among the Australia’s top declining imports are non-durable convenience products consumed one time only. That pair of decliners is the cigars, cigarellos and cigarettes grouping as well as the chocolate and other cocoa preparations product category.

Diamonds, navigational aids including compasses, and dishwashing, cleaning, drying, and filling machines declined the most for speciality products.

The remaining 5 import decliners are shopping products that normally require more time for shoppers to make buying decisions than typically required for convenience products. That subset of shopping products includes computer parts or accessories, sports equipment, unrecorded sound media, printed books or brochures, and tables or household items made from iron or steel.

Key Suppliers by Country

This analysis reveals competitive suppliers that target Australia’s demand for its top 5 consumer import products.

Australia’s biggest imported consumer product by value is processed petroleum oils. Australia’s 4 other leading consumer imports are cars, trucks, mobile phones, and computers.

Below, you will find major supplying countries for the following Australian imports.

Refined petroleum oils: South Korea (28.8% of total), Singapore (27.8%), Malaysia (9.7%), Taiwan (9%), Japan (7.9%), India (5.2%), Brunei Darussalam (4.9%), mainland China (4.7%), Kuwait (0.5%), and Oman (0.4%).

Cars: Japan (34% of total), South Korea (16%), mainland China (13.1%), Germany (7.8%), United States of America (7.3%), Thailand (6.9%), United Kingdom (2.2%), Mexico (2%), Slovakia (1.7%), and South Africa (1.5%).

Trucks: Thailand (46.2% of total), Japan (20%), United States of America (12.7%), mainland China (5.6%), Mexico (2.3%), Germany (1.5%), France (1.41%), Sweden (1.39%), South Korea (1.34%), and Argentina (1.2%).

Mobile phones: mainland China (62.1% of total), Vietnam (13.7%), United States of America (4.9%), Taiwan (3.8%), Malaysia (3.6%), Mexico (2.1%), Thailand (1.7%), Indonesia (1.2%), Singapore (0.7%), and Germany (0.5%).

Computers: mainland China (71.7% of total), United States of America (5.44%), Malaysia (5.37 q%), Singapore (5.1%), Taiwan (2.3%), Mexico (2.2%), Thailand (1.18%), Hungary (1.15%), Vietnam (0.9%), and Ireland (0.6%).

References

Independent insights and analysis presented in this article are based on researched facts and statistics sourced from the following educational portals.

BoyceWire, Consumer Goods Definition.

Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook: Australia Economy.

International Trade Centre, Trade Map.

Investopedia, Consumer Goods, Consumer Staples Definition, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).

Trading Economics, Australia Consumer Spending.

Wikipedia, List of largest consumer markets.

World’s Top Exports, Australia’s Top 10 Imports.