The bar charts illustrate the value of goods that Australia imported from and exported to China between 1998 and 2004, along with the types of goods imported from China in 2003 and 2004.
Overall, the value of imports consistently exceeded that of exports throughout the period, and both figures showed a steady upward trend. In terms of product categories, telecommunication equipment and toys/ sports equipment experienced the most notable increases between 2003 and 2004.
Looking first at trade values, both imports and exports increased by approximately $20 billion over the period, with the value of imports rising from around $20 billion in 1998 to about $40 billion in 2004, while exports grew from roughly $10 billion to $30 billion. Notably, the value of imports remained consistently higher than that of exports, with a relatively stable gap between the two throughout the period. By 2004, imports exceeded exports by approximately $10 billion.
Turning to the breakdown of imported goods, telecommunication equipment showed the most dramatic growth, rising from around $3 billion in 2003 to almost $8 billion in 2004. Imports of toys and sports items also increased markedly, from about $2 billion to $7 billion. By contrast, imports of computers and furniture experienced more moderate growth, rising from approximately $5 billion to $6 billion in each case. Meanwhile, spending on clothes remained relatively unchanged at around $4 billion over the period.