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International Merchandise Trade

International Merchandise Trade 2025 — Annual release

Exports of K67.8 billion and imports of K28.9 billion produced a merchandise trade surplus of K39.0 billion in 2025.

Released Reference period: 2025 Economy
K39.0 billion Increase Trade surplus, 2025

1. Key Highlights: 2024 – 2025 Performance

Papua New Guinea’s international trade performance in 2025 demonstrated remarkable expansion, with total merchandise trade reaching K96.7 billion, representing a 24.2% increase from K77.8 billion recorded in 2024. The domestic economy continued to maintain an exceptionally strong trade surplus, which expanded significantly by 46.7% year-on-year to reach K39.0 billion in 2025, up from K26.6 billion in 2024.

Over the comparative period:

  • Total Exports surged from K52.19 billion in 2024 to K67.81 billion in 2025, representing an increase of K15.62 billion (+29.9%).
  • Total Imports rose moderately from K25.63 billion to K28.85 billion, an increase of K3.22 billion (+12.5%).
  • Trade Balance (Surplus) widened sharply by K12.40 billion (+46.7%), moving from K26.56 billion to K38.96 billion, confirming strengthening net foreign exchange earnings and enhanced merchandise trade competitiveness.

2. Major Drivers of PNG Export in 2025

PNG’s export performance in 2025 was underpinned by exceptional growth across several major resource and agricultural commodities.

  • Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG): Remained PNG’s leading export commodity, valued at K21.5 billion in 2025 compared to K20.6 billion in 2024, representing a moderate growth of 4.6%. LNG accounted for 31.4% of total merchandise exports, continuing to anchor the nation’s export earnings.
  • Gold: Recorded extraordinary growth, surging by 67.6% from K11.5 billion in 2024 to K19.3 billion in 2025 (an increase of K7.8 billion). Gold constituted 28.2% of total exports, solidifying its position as PNG’s second-largest export commodity.
  • Copper Ores and Concentrates: Experienced powerful expansion, increasing by 61.8% from K5.0 billion in 2024 to K8.1 billion in 2025. Copper contributed 11.8% to total merchandise exports.
  • Fish and Tuna (Fresh, Chilled, and Canned): Exhibited robust recovery and growth, rising by 72.3% from K2.2 billion in 2024 to K3.8 billion in 2025, accounting for 5.6% of total exports.
  • Cocoa Beans: Surged by 81.2% from K1.3 billion in 2024 to K2.3 billion in 2025, driven by soaring global cocoa prices.
  • Palm Oil: Increased by 28.4%, rising from K2.4 billion in 2024 to K3.1 billion in 2025.
  • Coffee: Recorded remarkable growth of 77.7%, increasing from K774 million in 2024 to K1.38 billion in 2025, supported by firm international pricing.
  • Nickel: Increased by 14.2%, reaching K1.2 billion in 2025.
Top Export Commodities Comparison (2024 vs. 2025)

Declining Export Commodities

Despite overarching export growth, certain commodities experienced contractions between 2024 and 2025:

  • Crude Petroleum Oils: Declined 24.3%, falling from K3.4 billion in 2024 to K2.5 billion in 2025, reflecting production constraints and lower export volumes.
  • Silver: Decreased by 12.3%, falling from K354 million to K310 million, influenced by international price volatility.

3. Papua New Guinea Import Performance in 2025

Merchandise imports expanded steadily in 2025, reflecting heightened domestic economic activity, capital investment, and consumer demand. Total imports rose from K25.6 billion in 2024 to K28.8 billion in 2025, representing an increase of K3.2 billion (+12.5%).

Major Import Categories and Growth

Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) Export by HS Classification performance in 2024 was shaped by global demand, commodity prices, and domestic economic factors.

  • Petroleum Oils: Maintained its position as PNG’s largest import category, increasing by 17.2% from K4.27 billion in 2024 to K5.01 billion in 2025. Petroleum oils accounted for 17.4% of total imports, underscoring ongoing energy and fuel demands to support domestic transport and industrial operations.
  • Rice: Remained a critical food import, growing by 12.5% from K904 million in 2024 to K1.02 billion in 2025, representing 3.5% of total imports.
  • Goods Vehicles: Increased by 23.7%, rising from K791 million to K979 million.
  • Machinery Parts: Grew by 12.4%, rising from K812 million to K913 million.
  • Earthmoving Machinery: Experienced an exceptional surge of 73.9%, jumping from K341 million in 2024 to K592 million in 2025, reflecting intensive capital investment in mining, civil works, and infrastructure projects.
  • Vehicle Parts: Rose by 7.2% to K552 million.
  • Telecom Equipment: Increased by 4.2% to K425 million.
Top Import Commodities Comparison (2024 vs. 2025)

Import Contractions

Notable contractions in import value were observed in specific sectors:

  • Prefabricated Buildings: Declined sharply by 73.7% following peak investments in preceding years.
  • Wheat and Meslin: Decreased by 33.9%
  • Passenger Vehicles: Decreased by 7.4%

4. PNG Trade by Partner Countries

PNG’s external trade balance in 2025 remained strongly surplus-oriented, with overall improvements driven primarily by expanded exports to key bilateral partners.

Key Surplus and Deficit Trading Partners

  • Australia: Remained PNG’s largest overall trading partner, with total bilateral trade reaching K26.9 billion. PNG maintained a substantial trade surplus of K8.6 billion with Australia, underpinned by exports of K17.7 billion against imports of K9.1 billion. Australia was the principal contributor to the 2024–2025 trade balance improvement.
  • Japan: Generated PNG’s largest bilateral trade surplus at K11.4 billion, reflecting sustained high-value resource exports and minimal import flows.
  • Republic of Korea & Taiwan: Continued to record highly favourable, export-led trade surpluses, confirming their status as core markets for PNG mineral and energy commodities.
  • China: Remained PNG’s second-largest overall trading partner; however, bilateral trade performance shifted in 2025. Exports to China moderated while imports expanded, narrowing PNG’s trade surplus with China to K2.9 billion.
  • Singapore: Remained PNG’s largest trade deficit partner, with merchandise imports exceeding exports by K1.8 billion, driven largely by refined petroleum procurement. Deficit positions were also maintained with Indonesia and New Zealand.

5. Economic Outlook

The International Merchandise Trade Statistics for 2025 illustrate a remarkably resilient and expanding external sector in Papua New Guinea. Driven by extraordinary price gains and production volumes in gold, copper, and fisheries, alongside stable LNG earnings and robust agricultural exports, total trade reached K96.7 billion. With exports expanding by 29.9%—far outpacing import growth of 12.5%—the merchandise trade surplus widened by 46.7% to reach K38.96 billion. These results reinforce PNG’s position as a strongly export-oriented economy while highlighting ongoing structural contributions from agriculture (cocoa, coffee, palm oil) alongside traditional mineral anchors. Increased capital imports in machinery, transport equipment, and industrial inputs further signal strong domestic investment and economic momentum going into subsequent periods.