Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has welcomed Queensland's record export result.
Data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows Queensland has notched up record-breaking merchandise exports for the 15th month in row.
Since the government's election, Queensland's exports have almost doubled from $44.4 billion in the 12 months to January 2015 to $87 billion in the 12 months to June 2019, up 17.1 per cent in a year.
The Premier – who is also Minister for Trade – said the result shows Queensland's hard work is paying off.
"Exports equal trade and trade equals jobs, especially for regional Queensland," the Premier said.
"The more trade we do the more jobs we need."
The nominal value of LNG exports rose by 43.4 per cent in the past year – rising from $10.7 billion in 2017- 2018 up to $15.4 billion in 2018-19.
Exports of metallurgical coal, vital in steel making, reached $30.2 billion in 2018-19 – this was up almost $3.5 billion, or 12.9 per cent, on 2017-18. Thermal coal export values totalled $7.3 billion.
The Premier said the figures reflected objectives of trade missions to the United States, Japan, Korea and China where Queensland businesses are assisted to find new markets for Queensland goods.
"There are still a number of large and fast-growing markets in the U-S and South East Asia that we would like to target," the Premier said.
Beef exports rose $903 million to $5.8 billion in 2018-19. This is 18.4 per cent higher than the $4.9 billion last year – an incredible achievement for a state in the grip of prolonged drought and following on from natural disasters including widespread flooding in the North-West.
Minerals exports increased $1.5 billion over the year to $10.8 billion in 2018-19, driven by rises in the value of aluminium, zinc, lead and copper.
The value of Queensland's cotton exports rose by 4.3 per cent on the previous year to $1.1 billion, while crops exports were $864 million.
The Premier said the outlook for further growth is positive with a second runway opening at Brisbane Airport next year.
The airport already handles 77 per cent of airfreighted exported goods.
