Australia imports a range of foods from China, including processed fruits and vegetables, seafood, dairy products (like eggs and milk), confectionery, and baked goods, with processed items making up the bulk, filling gaps in domestic supply for specific categories like seafood and some produce. While Australia is a major food producer, China supplies processed items, raw materials, and certain staples, including some dairy, sweets, and canned goods.
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.
Trade in goods and services
Resources and energy make up the largest share of Australia's exports to China, with iron ore, natural gas and gold leading the way.
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).
Australia is now a net importer (that is, we import more than we export) in six food categories: seafood, processed fruit and vegetables, soft drink, cordials and syrup, confectionary, bakery products and oils and fats. Some of the insights in the Story Map are surprising.
"In fact, almost half of what Australians eat is ultra-processed," she said. However, Australia's current health food policies are not up to the task of tackling a national diet high in ultra-processed foods, according to Professor Mark Lawrence from Deakin University and co-author on the series.
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.
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.
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..
In Western Australia's Pilbara region, a slumbering giant is slowly coming to life. The $2 billion high-tech iron ore mining project, jointly owned by Rio Tinto (54%) and China's Baowu Steel Group (46%), is set to start its full annual production of 25 million tons of iron ore this year.
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.
Thanks to our Aussie-first supplier policy, 100% of ALDI's fresh meat is proudly Australian grown. This ensures that every bite is not only tasty but also ethically sourced. Our suppliers are some of Australia's best farmers, and our range of meat includes chicken, beef, lamb, pork and sausages.
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.
It is commonly accepted that Australia is highly dependent on the Chinese economy because of demand for Australian mineral resources and agriculture.
As a rough estimate, shipping a standard 20-foot container (TEU) from Asia to Australia typically ranges from $1,200 to $2,500, while shipping a 40-foot container (FEU) may cost between $2,500 to $4,500. However, prices can fluctuate based on market conditions, seasonal demand, and other factors.
China was the eighth-largest foreign direct investor in Australia, with foreign direct investment (FDI) stock worth $36 billion as at the end of 2024. In recent years, Chinese investment has broadened from mainly mining to other sectors including infrastructure and healthcare.
As of 2023, China has one of the highest home ownership rates in the world, with 90% of urban households owning their homes.
China remained the largest source of foreign-held interests, although the amount of farmland with some level of Chinese interests fell again for the fourth consecutive year, to 7.506 million hectares, accounting for 2.1 percent of total agricultural land.
Financial experts recommend that mortgage repayments should not exceed 30% of your gross monthly income. Therefore, you would need to earn at least $11,533 per month, or about $138,400 annually, to comfortably afford the repayments on this mortgage.
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.
By April 1, Trader Joe's will phase out single-ingredient Chinese imports such as garlic, frozen organic spinach, ginger and edamame, a green soybean, says spokeswoman Alison Mochizuki. The ban doesn't include products with ingredients from China, a leading source of vitamins and minerals used in many processed foods.