Biggest Exporting Industries in Australia in 2022

1. Iron Ore Mining in Australia

Exports for 2022: $132.0B

The Iron Ore Mining industry has benefited from major increases in iron ore prices, and small increases in production volumes over the past five years. As a result, industry revenue is expected to increase at an annualised 14.5% over the five years through 2022-23, to total $165.8 billion. This strong revenue growth is due to demand strength from China, and despite the COVID-19 pandemic from late 2019-20 through 2021-22. However, the high revenue growth trend over the period includes an anticipated 13.4% fall in the current year, due to weaker iron ore prices and higher global output.

Over the past decade,... Learn More

2. Oil and Gas Extraction in Australia

Exports for 2022: $57.7B

The Oil and Gas Extraction industry has grown over the past five years, despite exhibiting high revenue volatility. Changes in oil and gas prices, exchange rate movements, annual production volumes, and domestic and export demand for oil and gas all influence the industry's performance. Industry output has expanded over the past five years, while world oil and natural gas prices have displayed significant volatility. Australian natural gas production, which makes up most of the industry, is expected to increase at an annualised 8.3% over the five years through 2021-22, while domestic oil production is expected to grow at an annualised... Learn More

3. Liquefied Natural Gas Production in Australia

Exports for 2022: $55.7B

The Liquefied Natural Gas Production industry has rapidly expanded over the past five years, as project development has increased the scale and production capacity of the industry. Australian liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports have increased from 20.0 million tonnes in 2010-11 to an expected 81.9 million tonnes in 2021-22. Industry revenue is expected to grow at an annualised 17.6% over the five years through 2021-22, to $55.7 billion.

The wave of project development that occurred across the industry over the past decade has now concluded. Ten LNG facilities are operational in 2021-22, including the Prelude and Ichthys projects, which shipped their... Learn More

4. Coal Mining in Australia

Exports for 2022: $37.6B

Coal is a key input in steelmaking and energy generation. Although coal deposits are found all over the world, Australia is one of the world's lowest cost producers and a major coal exporter. Domestic reserves exceed domestic demand, are high grade and economical to access. As a result, exports account for a large share of industry revenue. Industry imports are negligible, as total local production has been higher than domestic demand for black coal. Black coal mining makes up the vast majority of industry activity. Brown coal is used domestically for electricity generation in Victoria.

Industry revenue is expected to grow... Learn More

5. Gold and Other Non-Ferrous Metal Processing in Australia

Exports for 2022: $27.9B

The Gold and Other Non-Ferrous Metal Processing industry mainly processes semi-refined gold. Semi-refined gold and gold dore bars are supplied from gold ore mining firms to the industry to be further processed into refined gold. Refined gold volumes are expected to total 323.9 tonnes in 2021-22, down from 337.1 tonnes in 2016-17. This fall is due to weaker refining volumes, particularly in 2020-21, and despite an expected surge in the current year. Although the industry refines a substantial volume of gold, some firms do so for a fee. These firms do not own either the gold bullion feedstock or the... Learn More

6. Grain Growing in Australia

Exports for 2022: $14.6B

The Grain Growing industry is export-oriented and produces wheat, barley, canola, other grains and oilseeds. Industry revenue has fluctuated over the past five years, due to volatile weather conditions, global grain prices and crop supplies. Industry revenue is expected to grow at an annualised 7.2% over the five years through 2021-22, to reach $21.1 billion. As Russia is a major producer of fertiliser, a key industry input, its price has significantly risen in 2021-22 due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Industry profitability has therefore fallen over the period as purchase costs have increased. However, higher output volumes due to improved rainfall... Learn More

7. Meat Processing in Australia

Exports for 2022: $14.2B

Activity in the Meat Processing industry has slowed over the past five years when compared with the strong growth rates recorded in the middle of the 2010s. Volatile production volumes and the COVID-19 pandemic have constrained industry operations over the period. However, demand from domestic and export markets has remained strong, despite the COVID-19 pandemic's economic fallout, due to consumers' increasing requirements for high-quality meat products. Strong export demand and herd rebuilding activity has created shortages of meat, driving up domestic beef and sheep meat prices. Increased prices have supported revenue rises for meat processors. Industry revenue is expected to... Learn More

8. Alumina Production in Australia

Exports for 2022: $7.4B

Australia is the world's largest producer of bauxite and the world's largest exporter of alumina. Alumina is made by applying the Bayer process to bauxite. Alumina can then be further refined into aluminium. The Alumina Production industry is highly concentrated, and has only three major players: Alcoa, Rio Tinto and South32. Each firm is vertically integrated, with upstream bauxite mining and downstream aluminium smelting operations.

Revenue for the Alumina Production industry is expected to decline at an annualised 3.3% over the five years through 2022-23, to $8.2 billion. This includes an anticipated increase of 2.7% in 2022-23, due to strong export... Learn More

9. Copper, Silver, Lead and Zinc Smelting and Refining in Australia

Exports for 2022: $6.8B

Revenue for the Copper, Silver, Lead and Zinc Smelting and Refining industry is projected to increase at an annualised 3.4% over the five years through 2021-22, to $4.5 billion. This rise is mainly due to higher copper prices and high export demand, and despite lower refined copper output. However, industry revenue is anticipated to decrease by 3.0% in the current year as downstream demand weakens and copper production declines greatly. Industry exports are estimated to total $7.6 billion in the current year, substantially above industry revenue. Industry firms often processes metal for a fee without taking ownership of it. Exports... Learn More

10. Copper Ore Mining in Australia

Exports for 2022: $6.7B

Copper is one of the world's most versatile and useful metals. It conducts heat and electricity and is widely used in electronic devices and electrical wiring. For example, computers and other digital devices require heat sinks to prevent overheating and these systems are often made of copper. Australia is one of the world's major copper mining countries, behind Chile, Peru, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, and the United States.

Revenue from the Copper Ore Mining industry is expected to increase at an annualised 7.1% over the five years through 2021-22, to reach $8.6 billion. This strong growth is due to higher... Learn More