Globalisation and Growth in the Australian Manufacturing Sector: A Comparison of the Performance of the Subdivisions

Trade liberalisation has been instrumental in raising the export profile of the six subdivisions of the Australian manufacturing sector in the period 1968/69-2017/18. Of particular interest is the varied response of each of the subdivisions to the challenge of strong import competition that has importantly led to different growth rates. The intensification of trade liberalisation has further elevated export based production which has provided additional momentum to growth in output in the more recent period 1983/84-2017/18. The gains in export driven growth however have been tempered by large losses in employment in most of the subdivisions.