Australia buys a range of food products from China, including processed fruits and vegetables, seafood, sugars, dairy products, nuts, spices, tea, confectionery, and beverages, often in both raw and processed forms, though processed foods dominate imports, alongside significant imports of items like eggs and honey. Despite Australia being a major food producer, it relies on imports from China for various categories where it's a net importer, like processed foods, seafood, and oils.
Under China's WTO accession protocol, China applies quotas on imports of rice, wheat, maize, sugar and vegetable oils. These are open to all WTO members, including Australia.
Resources and energy make up the largest share of Australia's exports to China, with iron ore, natural gas and gold leading the way.
The top U.S. import commodities from China are fruits and vegetables (fresh/processed), snack food, spices, and tea – the combined which accounts for nearly one-half of the total U.S. agricultural imports from China.
In October 2025, the top exports of China to Australia were Electric Batteries ($532M), Cars ($482M), and Telephones ($377M). In the same month, the main imports of China from Australia were Iron Ore ($6.56B), Petroleum Gas ($775M), and Coal Briquettes ($659M).
In 2024, China imported 1.34 million tons of beef from Brazil, 594,567 tons from Argentina, 243,662 tons from Uruguay, 216,050 tons from Australia, 150,514 tons from New Zealand, and 138,112 tons from the U.S..
Top 10 US imports from China
Fruits : Peaches, pears, lychees, pineapples. Vegetables: Mushrooms, corn, green beans, bamboo shoots. Seafood: Tuna, sardines, shellfish. Meat Products: Luncheon meat, chicken, beef.
Despite the rapid growth, less than 1 percent of the U.S. food supply comes from China. For a few specific items, like apple juice, garlic, canned mandarin oranges, fish, and shrimp, China is a major supplier.
These Iconic Food Brands Are Owned By Chinese Companies
China is still a major player in the Australian Property Market. Despite Beijing's recent restrictions on offshore company investment China's presence in Australia's property market remains very strong, accounting for a third of national development sites.
1. Electrical Machinery and Equipment: The Tech Leader. Electrical machinery and equipment dominated China's exports at $928 billion in 2024, accounting for 26% of total exports. This category includes smartphones, LED lights, circuit boards, and consumer electronics.
ALDI Australia sources 100% of its fresh meat from Australian farms, prioritizing local suppliers like the Bindaree Food Group (Jindurra Station) for beef, ensuring fresh, ethically raised products, with independent standards for pork and quality for all meats like chicken and lamb, supporting local farming while offering competitive prices.
No imported pork meat is able to be sold into Australia's fresh pork market due to biosecurity provisions contained in the Pork Biosecurity Import Risk Assessment.
Relations between the two countries began to deteriorate in 2018 due to growing concerns of Chinese political influence in various sectors of Australian society including the Government, universities and media as well as China's stance on the South China Sea dispute.
China's "0.1% rule" refers to its 2025 export controls that require licenses for products containing 0.1% or more (by value) of certain Chinese-origin rare earth elements or technologies, extending China's regulatory reach globally to materials like magnets, semiconductors, and defense components, even if manufactured outside China. This extraterritorial control, similar to the U.S. Foreign Direct Product Rule, aims to leverage China's dominance in rare earth supply chains for strategic influence, impacting high-tech industries by requiring approval for exports and potentially disrupting global supply chains.
Fresh Produce & Agriculture – Higher Costs and Limited Fresh Produce. Imports at risk: Avocados, tomatoes, bell peppers, berries, beef, pork, dairy. Meat and dairy imports from Canada are also at risk, driving up costs. Supply chain risk: Price volatility and shortages in fresh produce, beef, and dairy products.
In addition to its low labor costs, China has become known as “the world's factory” because of its low wages, strong business ecosystem, relatively lax commercial regulations, low taxes and duties, and competitive currency practices.
The United States continues to import food from China, including $4.6 billion worth in 2017 alone. Top imports include fruits and vegetables, snack foods, spices and tea. In 2019, for example, the U.S. imported $89 million worth of tea and $300 million worth of apple juice.
What items will be exempt from tariffs? The agricultural products no longer subject to the April 2 tariffs range from coffee and tea to fertilizers. The list also includes tropical fruit, fruit juices, cocoa, spices, bananas, oranges, tomatoes and beef.
Since organic products sell at higher prices, food producers, and not just ones in China, may tack fraudulent “organic” labels on their products for a higher profit. As issues arise in all levels of the supply chain, Chinese authorities and the USDA find it hard to find all the violations.
The List of Top Products Made In China for 2024