July trade figures highlight new growth sectors for Queensland  

Queensland exporters are capitalising on global opportunities, with strong gains across food and metal exports reinforcing the state’s $104.3 billion export performance in the year to July 2025.

Beef exports grew by nearly 25%, chickpeas by 285% and aluminium by 41% compared with the previous year — more than offsetting some of the downturn in coal export values caused by weaker global prices.

This shift highlights Queensland’s ability to adapt to changing global demand, turning agricultural and mineral strengths into competitive advantage across international markets.

Services exports strengthen Queensland’s global position

Services exports are also playing an increasingly important role.

International education enrolments exceeded 112,000 in May 2025, sitting 10.3% higher than pre-pandemic levels, while international visitor spending hit record highs.

Together, these results reinforce Queensland’s position as a leading destination for learning, lifestyle and leisure.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has identified tourism, ICT and professional services as among the fastest growing sectors in the global economy. 

Queensland is already aligning with this trend, underpinned by the state’s new global business brand, QueensLand of Opportunity, which is promoting the Queensland’s strengths across priority markets.

Key export markets show strong demand

The July 2025 trade figures highlight this momentum through:

• exports to China grew by 2.3% year-on-year to A$25.7 billion, led by coal, liquified natural gas and beef
• exports to the United States jumped nearly 46% to A$4.7 billion, with strong demand for beef, minerals and manufactured goods.