globaltraffic.earth

How dependent is Papua New Guinea on China?

In 2024, China sold $1.3 billion to Papua New Guinea, 24.3% of its imports, ranking 2nd among its suppliers. Its share was 16.1% in 2019 and 1.4% in 1995. In 128 products it sells more than 50% of what Papua New Guinea buys of them (in 59, more than 75%); what Papua New Guinea buys from China in those products (dominated value) adds up to $775 million, 14.2% of its imports.

Summary

Share of its imports
24.3%
Value imported
$1.3billion
Rank among its suppliers
2nd
Products where it sells over 50%
128
Products where it sells over 75%
59
Dominated value
$775million
Share of total imports
14.2%

Trend

China went from 1.4% to 24.3% of what Papua New Guinea buys

Trend in shares

China went from 1.4% to 24.3% of what Papua New Guinea buys

Share (%)

  • China 24.3%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearValue (USD millions)ShareRank
1995161.4%11
1996281.8%8
1997261.8%9
1998241.6%10
1999293.1%8
2000312.5%8
2001241.7%8
2002292.2%9
2003684.6%6
2004653.6%5
2005674%6
20061266.5%3
20072148.6%3
200834411.7%3
200952816.2%2
20103528.2%3
20115017.2%4
20126847.6%4
20135539.4%3
201463612%3
201598720.8%2
201664816.5%2
201777518.1%2
201878518%2
201983116.1%2
202088520.1%2
202190418.6%2
20221,27019.9%2
20231,34620.5%2
20241,33024.3%2

Products where China sells more than half

128 products, 14.2% of what it buys
ProductSupplierShareSecondValue
Steel structuresChina80.4%over 75%Australia · 16.3%$53 million
Coated flat steelChina68.6%South Korea · 14.2%$35 million
Plastic packagingChina52.2%Indonesia · 22%$25 million
Toilet paper and tissuesChina86.5%over 75%Malaysia · 4.6%$25 million
Plastic tableware and household itemsChina94.3%over 75%Australia · 2%$24 million
Caustic soda and potashChina96.4%over 75%Australia · 2.8%$22 million
Prepared fish and caviarChina58.5%Thailand · 25.3%$22 million
FurnitureChina73%Australia · 11.2%$20 million
Lamps and light fittingsChina79.2%over 75%Australia · 16.3%$20 million
Rubber and plastic footwearChina78.7%over 75%India · 17.7%$19 million
Welded steel pipesChina84.1%over 75%Australia · 10.7%$18 million
Generating setsChina57.8%Australia · 14%$18 million
Prefabricated buildingsChina66.8%Australia · 28.5%$18 million
Bags, suitcases and casesChina91.6%over 75%Australia · 5.5%$17 million
Industrial fatty acids and oilsChina69.2%Australia · 20.4%$17 million
Cables and wireChina52.4%Australia · 30.5%$16 million
Synthetic filament fabricChina94.1%over 75%Indonesia · 3.6%$15 million
Plastic sheets and filmChina67.4%Malaysia · 22.4%$14 million
Notebooks and registersChina88.8%over 75%Australia · 4.5%$12 million
Steel wire mesh, netting and fencingChina84.6%over 75%Australia · 13.6%$12 million
Packing sacks and bagsChina90.8%over 75%Australia · 4.1%$11 million
Iron or steel nails and tacksChina99.6%over 75%Australia · 0.25%$11 million
Plastic floor and wall coveringsChina95.6%over 75%Australia · 2.5%$10 million
Steel kitchenware and household articlesChina88.6%over 75%Australia · 4.6%$8 million
Men's suits and trousersChina75.7%over 75%Australia · 12%$8 million
ToysChina98.6%over 75%Australia · 0.73%$8 million
T-shirtsChina71.2%Australia · 8.7%$8 million
Flashlights and portable lampsChina82.9%over 75%Australia · 16.4%$8 million
Organosulfur compoundsChina99%over 75%Philippines · 0.49%$8 million
Umbrellas and parasolsChina98.8%over 75%Singapore · 0.45%$8 million

and 98 more

A product has a dominant supplier when a single country sells more than 50% of what is bought of it; we flag it separately above 75%.

Are there other suppliers in the world?

Exports from the rest of the world already have buyers; the figure shows scale, not availability.

Seen from China

China’s 123rd customer, 0.04% of its sales

Papua New Guinea is China’s 123rd-largest customer, with 0.04% of its exports.

Sources and method

CEPII BACI and 1 more

Sources and licenses

Methodology

The data come from CEPII BACI (Etalab 2.0 licence), which reconciles what the exporting and the importing country report, in current USD, FOB. Data up to 2024.

Dependence is the share of a country’s imports (or exports) that each partner accounts for. It does not measure whether a product has a substitute or how much it would cost to change supplier.

The concentration index (HHI) adds up the square of each partner’s share, in percent: it runs from 0 to 10,000. Its equivalent is 10,000 ÷ HHI, the number of partners of the same size that would give that value.

Products are HS4 headings of the 1992 nomenclature (some combine different goods), with a floor of $1 million per product and country.

The EU is the 27 current members in every year; the United Kingdom is outside the EU throughout the series.

Re-exports: countries that act as redistribution hubs carry their notice and the figures are not corrected.