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The twenty imports Papua New Guinea is best placed to replace.

Papua New Guinea imported USD 4.0bn of manufactured goods in 2024 and exported USD 387m. These are the twenty that sit closest to what it already makes well and where one country supplies most of them.

USD 564mthe twenty, imported in 2024
40products imported at scale, not yet exported well, and close to existing strengths
62products Papua New Guinea already exports well
87product lines imported at USD 10m or more
The twenty

Demand, capability, exposure. Nothing else is claimed.

Each line shows the import bill, where it comes from, the nearest thing Papua New Guinea already exports well, and how many countries make it. It does not say whether a plant in Papua New Guinea would pay. That reason is not in any trade record, and it is the maker's question.

This edition is trade and capability only, scored out of 8. The UK edition adds which public bodies buy each product and which region holds the capability; those layers are built only where a country publishes contract awards and regional trade, and Papua New Guinea does not publish them in a form this record can read yet.

  1. 1

    Food preparations: n.e.c. in item no. 2106.10HS 210690

    Comes fromSingapore 73%, 21 source countries
    Nearest export strengthFerrous waste and scrap: of cast iron
    Exports of this linenone recorded
    Countries that export it well51

    Score 7 of 8: import bill USD 97m, top 1 per cent of candidates (3); proximity to Papua New Guinea's export strengths in the top 17 per cent (2); Singapore supplies 73 per cent (2).

    USD 97mdown 3% on 2022
  2. 2

    Machines, for sorting, screening, separating, washing, crushing etc mineral substances, for agglomerating, shaping or...HS 847490

    Comes fromAustralia 83%, 17 source countries
    Nearest export strengthnone in the same chapter
    Exports of this lineUSD 852k
    Countries that export it well25

    Score 6 of 8: import bill USD 64m, top 3 per cent of candidates (3); proximity to Papua New Guinea's export strengths in the top 41 per cent (1); Australia supplies 83 per cent (2).

    USD 64mup 39% on 2022
  3. 3

    Fertilizers, mineral or chemical: nitrogenous, ammonium nitrate, whether or not in aqueous solutionHS 310230

    Comes fromIndonesia 77%, 3 source countries
    Nearest export strengthnone in the same chapter
    Exports of this linenone recorded; 1 more line in the heading, USD 14m
    Countries that export it well22

    Score 6 of 8: import bill USD 25m, top 21 per cent of candidates (2); proximity to Papua New Guinea's export strengths in the top 18 per cent (2); Indonesia supplies 77 per cent (2).

    USD 25mdown 2% on 2022
  4. 4

    Bulldozers and angledozers: self-propelled, track layingHS 842911

    Comes fromAustralia 71%, 6 source countries
    Nearest export strengthnone in the same chapter
    Exports of this linenone recorded; 2 more lines in the heading, USD 63m
    Countries that export it well18

    Score 6 of 8: import bill USD 25m, top 22 per cent of candidates (2); proximity to Papua New Guinea's export strengths in the top 21 per cent (2); Australia supplies 71 per cent (2).

    USD 25mup 207% on 2022
  5. 5

    Iron or steel: structures and parts thereof, n.e.c. in heading 7308HS 730890

    Comes fromChina 80%, 19 source countries
    Nearest export strengthnone in the same chapter
    Exports of this lineUSD 71k; 1 more line in the heading, USD 13m
    Countries that export it well33

    Score 5 of 8: import bill USD 47m, top 10 per cent of candidates (2); proximity to Papua New Guinea's export strengths in the top 47 per cent (1); China supplies 80 per cent (2).

    USD 47mup 18% on 2022
  6. 6

    Aluminium: casks, drums, cans, boxes and the like for any material (not compressed or liquefied gas), 300l capacity or...HS 761290

    Comes fromNew Zealand 71%, 8 source countries
    Nearest export strengthAluminium: powders of lamellar structure, flakes (exports USD 1m)
    Exports of this linenone recorded
    Countries that export it well42

    Score 5 of 8: import bill USD 43m, top 11 per cent of candidates (2); proximity to Papua New Guinea's export strengths in the top 25 per cent (1); New Zealand supplies 71 per cent (2).

    USD 43mdown 9% on 2022
  7. 7

    Sugars: sucrose, chemically pure, in solid form, not containing added flavouring or colouring matterHS 170199

    Comes fromThailand 48%, 8 source countries
    Nearest export strengthnone in the same chapter
    Exports of this linenone recorded
    Countries that export it well44

    Score 5 of 8: import bill USD 39m, top 13 per cent of candidates (2); proximity to Papua New Guinea's export strengths in the top 13 per cent (2); Thailand supplies 48 per cent (1).

    USD 39mup 24% on 2022
  8. 8

    Extracts, essences and concentrates: of coffee, and preparations with a basis of these extracts, essences or...HS 210111

    Comes fromAustralia 76%, 7 source countries
    Nearest export strengthnone in the same chapter
    Exports of this lineUSD 10k; 1 more line in the heading, USD 12m
    Countries that export it well27

    Score 5 of 8: import bill USD 14m, top 57 per cent of candidates (0); proximity to Papua New Guinea's export strengths in the top 6 per cent (3); Australia supplies 76 per cent (2).

    USD 14mup 201% on 2022
  9. 9

    Sauces and preparations therefor: mixed condiments and mixed seasoningsHS 210390

    Comes fromAustralia 75%, 15 source countries
    Nearest export strengthCoffee: husks and skins, coffee substitutes containing coffee in any...
    Exports of this lineUSD 31k
    Countries that export it well45

    Score 5 of 8: import bill USD 13m, top 61 per cent of candidates (0); proximity to Papua New Guinea's export strengths in the top 9 per cent (3); Australia supplies 75 per cent (2).

    USD 13mdown 12% on 2022
  10. 10

    Food preparations: pasta (excluding stuffed), cooked or otherwise preparedHS 190230

    Comes fromIndonesia 64%, 13 source countries
    Nearest export strengthnone in the same chapter
    Exports of this linenone recorded
    Countries that export it well30

    Score 5 of 8: import bill USD 13m, top 63 per cent of candidates (0); proximity to Papua New Guinea's export strengths in the top 9 per cent (3); Indonesia supplies 64 per cent (2).

    USD 13mup 4% on 2022
  11. 11

    Footwear: with outer soles and uppers of rubber or plastics, upper straps or thongs assembled to the sole by plugsHS 640220

    Comes fromChina 78%, 4 source countries
    Nearest export strengthnone in the same chapter
    Exports of this linenone recorded; 1 more line in the heading, USD 11m
    Countries that export it well21

    Score 5 of 8: import bill USD 13m, top 69 per cent of candidates (0); proximity to Papua New Guinea's export strengths in the top 7 per cent (3); China supplies 78 per cent (2).

    USD 13mdown 16% on 2022
  12. 12

    Sacks and bags: of a kind used for the packing of goods, of man-made textile materials, of polyethylene or...HS 630533

    Comes fromChina 96%, 6 source countries
    Nearest export strengthnone in the same chapter
    Exports of this lineUSD 3k
    Countries that export it well44

    Score 5 of 8: import bill USD 10m, top 98 per cent of candidates (0); proximity to Papua New Guinea's export strengths in the top 3 per cent (3); China supplies 96 per cent (2).

    USD 10mdown 22% on 2022
  13. 13

    Vehicles: dumpers, designed for off-highway use, for transport of goodsHS 870410

    Comes fromAustralia 54%, 4 source countries
    Nearest export strengthnone in the same chapter
    Exports of this linenone recorded; 3 more lines in the heading, USD 108m
    Countries that export it well21

    Score 4 of 8: import bill USD 36m, top 15 per cent of candidates (2); proximity to Papua New Guinea's export strengths in the top 34 per cent (1); Australia supplies 54 per cent (1).

    USD 36mup 202% on 2022
  14. 14

    Boring or sinking machinery: parts for boring or sinking machinery of subheading 8430.41 or 8430.49HS 843143

    Comes fromAustralia 47%, 20 source countries
    Nearest export strengthnone in the same chapter
    Exports of this lineUSD 1m; 1 more line in the heading, USD 88m
    Countries that export it well26

    Score 4 of 8: import bill USD 24m, top 25 per cent of candidates (1); proximity to Papua New Guinea's export strengths in the top 23 per cent (2); Australia supplies 47 per cent (1).

    USD 24mdown 3% on 2022
  15. 15

    Buildings: prefabricated, not of woodHS 940690

    Comes fromChina 76%, 11 source countries
    Nearest export strengthnone in the same chapter
    Exports of this linenone recorded
    Countries that export it well38

    Score 4 of 8: import bill USD 23m, top 28 per cent of candidates (1); proximity to Papua New Guinea's export strengths in the top 39 per cent (1); China supplies 76 per cent (2).

    USD 23mup 56% on 2022
  16. 16

    Iron or non-alloy steel: flat-rolled, width 600mm or more, plated or coated with aluminium zinc-alloysHS 721061

    Comes fromChina 100%, 3 source countries
    Nearest export strengthFerrous waste and scrap: of cast iron (exports USD 704k)
    Exports of this linenone recorded; 1 more line in the heading, USD 20m
    Countries that export it well15

    Score 4 of 8: import bill USD 21m, top 34 per cent of candidates (1); proximity to Papua New Guinea's export strengths in the top 28 per cent (1); China supplies 100 per cent (2).

    USD 21mdown 19% on 2022
  17. 17

    Sanitary towels (pads) and tampons, napkins (diapers), napkin liners and similar articles, of any materialHS 961900

    Comes fromChina 85%, 9 source countries
    Nearest export strengthButton moulds and other parts of buttons: button blanks (exports USD 86k)
    Exports of this lineUSD 2k
    Countries that export it well34

    Score 4 of 8: import bill USD 18m, top 45 per cent of candidates (1); proximity to Papua New Guinea's export strengths in the top 29 per cent (1); China supplies 85 per cent (2).

    USD 18mup 28% on 2022
  18. 18

    Quicklime: excluding calcium oxide and hydroxide of heading no. 2825HS 252210

    Comes fromMalaysia 61%, 3 source countries
    Nearest export strengthnone in the same chapter
    Exports of this linenone recorded
    Countries that export it well40

    Score 4 of 8: import bill USD 14m, top 55 per cent of candidates (0); proximity to Papua New Guinea's export strengths in the top 14 per cent (2); Malaysia supplies 61 per cent (2).

    USD 14mdown 2% on 2022
  19. 19

    Iron or non-alloy steel: bars and rods, hot-rolled, hot-drawn or hot-extruded, containing indentations, ribs, grooves...HS 721420

    Comes fromIndonesia 55%, 5 source countries
    Nearest export strengthFerrous waste and scrap: of cast iron (exports USD 704k)
    Exports of this linenone recorded
    Countries that export it well45

    Score 4 of 8: import bill USD 13m, top 62 per cent of candidates (0); proximity to Papua New Guinea's export strengths in the top 6 per cent (3); Indonesia supplies 55 per cent (1).

    USD 13mup 22% on 2022
  20. 20

    Iron or steel (excluding cast iron): tubes, pipes and hollow profiles (not seamless), welded, of square or rectangular...HS 730661

    Comes fromChina 95%, 10 source countries
    Nearest export strengthnone in the same chapter
    Exports of this linenone recorded
    Countries that export it well40

    Score 4 of 8: import bill USD 13m, top 71 per cent of candidates (0); proximity to Papua New Guinea's export strengths in the top 11 per cent (2); China supplies 95 per cent (2).

    USD 13mdown 38% on 2022

One line per customs heading. Products Papua New Guinea already exports well and still imports are below, because they are a different conversation. No employment figures appear on this page, by decision.

Made here already, still imported

Scale conversations, not capability ones.

No line where the country already exports well and still imports more than it sells abroad.

How the twenty were chosen

Three scores, each from a field the record carries.

Import bill, 0 to 3, by percentile among the 87 lines imported at USD 10m or more: above the median one point, top quarter two, top tenth three.

Proximity to export strengths, 0 to 3, on the same percentiles: the product-space method (Hidalgo, Klinger, Barabasi and Hausmann, Science 2007) on CEPII's BACI file of every bilateral trade flow for 2024, 157 countries and 5,388 products. Two products are close when the countries that export one well tend to export the other well. Only products in the upper half for proximity can enter the list at all: best placed is a proximity claim.

Supply concentration, 0 to 2: one point when a single country supplies 40 per cent or more, two at 60 per cent.

Scope. Manufactured goods, customs chapters 16 to 96, excluding ores, fuels and precious metals. Primary agriculture is out of scope for a page about manufacture.

What it cannot tell you

A map of where to look.

Trade data says what crossed the border, not why. Cost, scale, patents, tariffs and the plain fact that a supplier is good at it are all invisible here. The world file reconciles what each pair of countries reports, so a national customs file would differ in detail. Nothing on this page is a forecast or a promise.

Source: CEPII BACI, HS22, version 202601, years 2022 to 2024. Edition of 2026-11-02. The UK edition with its procurement and regional layers is at /made-here/.

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