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Papua New Guinea trade in 2024

In 2024, Papua New Guinea exported $13.9 billion and imported $5.5 billion, a trade surplus of $8.4 billion. It was the world's 91st-largest exporter, with 0.06% of world exports. Its top export was natural gas and LPG (38.6% of the total) and its main trading partner was China (23.7% of its trade).

Summary

Exports
$13.9billion
Imports
$5.5billion
Trade balance
+$8.4billion
Routes to the main partners. Width: trade value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand
View on the 3D globe

Products

What it exports

Natural gas and LPG (38.6%) and gold (18.3%) together make up 56.9% of its exports.

  1. Natural gas and LPG$5.4 billion · 38.6%
    Main partner: Japan
  2. Gold$2.5 billion · 18.3%
    Main partner: Australia
  3. Copper ore$1.3 billion · 9.1%
    Main partner: Japan
  4. Crude petroleum$838 million · 6%
    Main partner: China
  5. Palm oil$684 million · 4.9%
    Main partner: Netherlands
  6. Logs$513 million · 3.7%
    Main partner: China
  7. Precious metal ore$472 million · 3.4%
    Main partner: South Korea
  8. Nickel matte$422 million · 3%
    Main partner: China
  9. Cocoa beans$354 million · 2.6%
    Main partner: Malaysia
  10. Prepared fish and caviar$256 million · 1.9%
    Main partner: Germany

What it imports

Refined petroleum (16.2%) and rice (2.7%) together make up 18.9% of its imports.

  1. Refined petroleum$886 million · 16.2%
    Main partner: Singapore
  2. Rice$150 million · 2.7%
    Main partner: Thailand
  3. Trucks$144 million · 2.6%
    Main partner: Japan
  4. Parts for cranes and excavators$124 million · 2.3%
    Main partner: Australia
  5. Auto parts$115 million · 2.1%
    Main partner: Australia
  6. Bulldozers and excavators$112 million · 2.1%
    Main partner: China
  7. Other food preparations$97 million · 1.8%
    Main partner: Singapore
  8. Lamb and goat meat$85 million · 1.6%
    Main partner: Australia
  9. Cameras and broadcast equipment$83 million · 1.5%
    Main partner: New Zealand
  10. Sorting and crushing machines$82 million · 1.5%
    Main partner: Australia
By Harmonized System chapter (96)
ChapterExportsImports
27 · Oil, gas and coal$6.3 billion$895 million
71 · Gems and precious metals$2.7 billion$10 million
26 · Ores and slag$1.8 billion$485 thousand
15 · Fats and oils$832 million$50 million
44 · Wood$568 million$7 million
75 · Nickel$422 million$424 thousand
18 · Cocoa and chocolate$354 million$7 million
16 · Prepared meat and fish$262 million$55 million
09 · Coffee, tea and spices$258 million$2 million
03 · Fish and seafood$195 million$23 million
89 · Ships and boats$44 million$13 million
12 · Oilseeds and grains$28 million$1 million
84 · Mechanical machinery$27 million$972 million
23 · Animal feed and food waste$14 million$14 million
76 · Aluminum$12 million$66 million
88 · Aircraft and spacecraft$9 million$65 million
72 · Iron and steel$9 million$92 million
74 · Copper$9 million$6 million
87 · Vehicles$9 million$433 million
97 · Art and antiques$6 million$30 thousand
40 · Rubber$5 million$89 million
90 · Precision and medical instruments$4 million$81 million
85 · Electrical and electronic equipment$3 million$346 million
41 · Hides and leather$2 million$8 thousand
73 · Iron and steel products$2 million$266 million
38 · Miscellaneous chemicals$1 million$48 million
86 · Railway equipment$1 million$7 million
80 · Tin$887 thousand$734 thousand
82 · Tools and cutlery$681 thousand$52 million
28 · Inorganic chemicals$527 thousand$59 million
91 · Watches and clocks$494 thousand$2 million
83 · Miscellaneous metal goods$454 thousand$37 million
39 · Plastics$292 thousand$200 million
05 · Other animal products$185 thousand$9 million
30 · Pharmaceuticals$175 thousand$43 million
20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables$167 thousand$19 million
33 · Perfumes and cosmetics$158 thousand$17 million
22 · Beverages and spirits$147 thousand$24 million
06 · Live plants and flowers$143 thousand$75 thousand
70 · Glass$138 thousand$16 million
08 · Fruit and nuts$119 thousand$7 million
14 · Other plant products$118 thousand$13 thousand
96 · Other manufactured goods$106 thousand$16 million
94 · Furniture and lighting$93 thousand$92 million
07 · Vegetables$84 thousand$7 million
63 · Home textiles and used clothing$80 thousand$50 million
34 · Soap and cleaning products$72 thousand$37 million
25 · Salt, stone and cement$61 thousand$41 million
61 · Knitted clothing$56 thousand$34 million
62 · Woven clothing$53 thousand$23 million
49 · Books and printed matter$50 thousand$14 million
47 · Wood pulp$48 thousand$27 thousand
42 · Leather goods and bags$45 thousand$21 million
10 · Cereals$45 thousand$233 million
21 · Food preparations$42 thousand$150 million
48 · Paper and paperboard$34 thousand$82 million
02 · Meat and offal$30 thousand$172 million
95 · Toys and sports gear$25 thousand$19 million
65 · Hats$18 thousand$3 million
24 · Tobacco$16 thousand$12 million
79 · Zinc$13 thousand$1 million
17 · Sugar and sweets$7 thousand$54 million
37 · Photographic goods$7 thousand$2 million
64 · Footwear$6 thousand$40 million
92 · Musical instruments$6 thousand$1 million
13 · Gums and plant extracts$6 thousand$416 thousand
66 · Umbrellas and canes$4 thousand$8 million
56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope$4 thousand$9 million
69 · Ceramics$3 thousand$24 million
46 · Wicker and basketware$3 thousand$143 thousand
19 · Baked goods and cereal products$3 thousand$58 million
57 · Carpets and rugs$2 thousand$2 million
32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents$2 thousand$26 million
60 · Knitted fabric$2 thousand$1 million
35 · Glues, starches and enzymes$1 thousand$5 million
68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles$1 thousand$16 million
78 · Lead$1 thousand$162 thousand
01 · Live animals$212$1 million
52 · Cotton$193$5 million
29 · Organic chemicals$79$18 million
54 · Synthetic filaments$64$17 million
55 · Synthetic staple fibers$25$8 million
67 · Feathers and artificial flowers$7$2 million
31 · Fertilizers$6$71 million
04 · Dairy, eggs and honey$0$30 million
11 · Milling products and malt$0$19 million
36 · Explosives and matches$0$6 million
59 · Coated and technical textiles$0$4 million
81 · Other base metals$0$1 million
93 · Weapons and ammunition$0$1 million
58 · Special fabrics and lace$0$836 thousand
50 · Silk$0$32 thousand
45 · Cork$0$20 thousand
53 · Other plant fibers$0$14 thousand
51 · Wool$0$4 thousand
43 · Fur and fur goods$0$641

Trading partners

Its main destination is China (23.5% of exports) and its main source is Australia (29.1% of imports).

Who it sells to

PartnerValue (USD billions)ShareMode
China3.323.5%Sea
Japan321.9%Sea
Australia2.719.4%Air
South Korea17.2%Sea
Taiwan0.956.9%Sea
India0.382.8%Sea
Philippines0.322.3%Sea
Singapore0.322.3%Sea
Malaysia0.32.2%Sea
Netherlands0.282%Sea

Who it buys from

PartnerValue (USD billions)ShareMode
Australia1.629.1%Sea
China1.324.3%Sea
Singapore0.8816.1%Sea
Malaysia0.356.4%Sea
Japan0.224.1%Sea
Indonesia0.224%Land
Thailand0.213.9%Sea
New Zealand0.152.7%Sea
South Korea0.091.6%Sea
Taiwan0.091.6%Sea

Overview 1995–2024

In 2024, Papua New Guinea accounted for 0.06% of world exports, compared with 0.05% in 1995.

Exports and imports

Exports grew 5-fold since 1995

USD billions (current). Bars: trade balance (green surplus, red deficit).

  • Exports 13.9
  • Imports 5.5
  • Balance +8.4

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$2.7 billion$1.1 billion$1.6 billion
1996$2.6 billion$1.5 billion$1.2 billion
1997$2.2 billion$1.5 billion$712 million
1998$2.5 billion$1.5 billion$995 million
1999$2.1 billion$956 million$1.1 billion
2000$2.5 billion$1.2 billion$1.3 billion
2001$2 billion$1.4 billion$618 million
2002$2.2 billion$1.3 billion$869 million
2003$2.8 billion$1.5 billion$1.3 billion
2004$3.1 billion$1.8 billion$1.3 billion
2005$3.5 billion$1.7 billion$1.8 billion
2006$4.3 billion$2 billion$2.3 billion
2007$5 billion$2.5 billion$2.5 billion
2008$6.1 billion$2.9 billion$3.2 billion
2009$5.1 billion$3.3 billion$1.9 billion
2010$6.5 billion$4.3 billion$2.2 billion
2011$11.8 billion$6.9 billion$4.9 billion
2012$10.5 billion$9 billion$1.5 billion
2013$6.8 billion$5.9 billion$902 million
2014$9.9 billion$5.3 billion$4.6 billion
2015$9.6 billion$4.7 billion$4.9 billion
2016$8.7 billion$3.9 billion$4.8 billion
2017$10.6 billion$4.3 billion$6.3 billion
2018$11.2 billion$4.4 billion$6.8 billion
2019$15.2 billion$5.2 billion$10 billion
2020$13.2 billion$4.4 billion$8.8 billion
2021$14.3 billion$4.9 billion$9.4 billion
2022$17.4 billion$6.4 billion$11 billion
2023$15.7 billion$6.6 billion$9.2 billion
2024$13.9 billion$5.5 billion$8.4 billion

World rank

Papua New Guinea fell from 78th to 91st among the world's exporters

Rank among 222 countries by export value (1st at the top).

  • 78th in 1995
  • 91st in 2024

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearRank
199578th
199686th
199793rd
199886th
199993rd
200098th
2001108th
2002104th
2003101st
2004108th
2005108th
2006106th
2007104th
2008106th
2009104th
2010103rd
201190th
201293rd
2013109th
201497th
201594th
201694th
201792nd
201891st
201982nd
202083rd
202187th
202284th
202386th
202491st

What it sells

Its top export group is still oil, gas and coal: 46% in 2024

% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.

  • Other 5%
  • Prepared meat and fish 2%
  • Cocoa and chocolate 3%
  • Nickel 3%
  • Wood 4%
  • Fats and oils 6%
  • Ores and slag 13%
  • Gems and precious metals 19%
  • Oil, gas and coal 46%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Chapter19952024
Oil, gas and coal23.9%45.6%
Gems and precious metals11.7%19.3%
Ores and slag23.3%12.9%
Fats and oils6.7%6%
Wood18.8%4.1%
Nickel0%3%
Cocoa and chocolate2%2.6%
Prepared meat and fish0.03%1.9%
Other13.6%4.7%

Who it trades with

China went from 2% to 24% of Papua New Guinea's trade

% of total trade (exports + imports) with each partner.

  • China 24%
  • Australia 22%
  • Japan 17%
  • Singapore 6%
  • South Korea 6%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
China2.5%23.7%
Australia36.1%22.1%
Japan22.3%16.8%
Singapore5%6.2%
South Korea6.2%5.6%

Production hubs

Largest industrial emission sources (Climate TRACE, 2025)

  • Papuan basinOil and gas · 3.6 Mt CO₂e
View on the globe

Largest economic production hubs (gridded GDP, 2024)

No hubs above the globe threshold.

View on the globe

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Ranks are computed among the countries with data each year. Services are not included. Data up to 2024.

Neighboring countries

Main partners

See all countries