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Industry and Infrastructure
Most manufacturing establishments are situated in and around capital cities, principally Sydney and Melbourne. The trend since the late 1960s has seen a reduction in employment in manufacturing and a similar reduction in the number of manufacturing establishments. Australia has traditionally been heavily unionised but union membership is steadily declining. There are more than 50 unions representing around 20% of the workforce of more than 1.8 million people.
Australia is a major world exporter of a range of commodities including coal, iron ore, bauxite, alumina, manganese, liquefied natural gas, mineral sands, uranium, wool, meat, dairy products, wheat and sugar. In the past decade, however, exports of services and manufactured goods have been rising faster than exports of rural and resource commodities.
Australia relies greatly on international trade for its economic wellbeing. Imports, particularly of capital equipment, play a vital role in the country’s economic development. Australia’s principal trading partners for its imports are the United States and China. Its biggest export market is Japan, followed by China, South Korea, the United States and New Zealand.
Australia has a large road and rail network with approximately 40,000 kilometres of railway system. Air transport is also used throughout the country because of the large distances involved.