HALF of Australia’s beef exports by air – a total of 16,367 tonnes - went through Brisbane Airport (BNE) in FY25, making it the largest exporting airport for beef, according to the latest data from the Brisbane Airport Corporation Pty Limited (BAC).
For FY25, there was a total of 47,939 tonnes of exports, and 37,935 tonnes of imports, through BNE.
BNE, like most airports, facilitates major freight movements of both exports and imports via the cargo holds onboard passenger aircraft and dedicated cargo flights.
China has risen to be the top trading country with Brisbane (from 3rd last year) as airlines continue to grow flights, with 9,680 tonnes of imports and 1,240 tonnes of exports.
Trade with China and Hong Kong is expected to grow further. In June this year, Cathay Pacific Cargo commenced a weekly dedicated cargo service to and from Hong Kong, using the iconic B747-800 freighter aircraft, enabling 135 tonnes of freight uplift per flight to/from BNE.
The United States has moved to 2nd (from 1st last year), with freight volumes declining since March 2025 versus the prior year, likely due to trade tariffs and the uncertainty of the changing trade environment.
According to the FY25 annual report, the beef exported from BNE was destined for the markets of Hong Kong, Singapore, USA, South Korea, Taiwan and the Middle East.
The top ten freight trading countries in FY215 for BNE are Mainland China, USA, New Zealand, Singapore Hong Kong, UAE, Germany, Japan, PNG and South Korea.
Besides beef, other large commodity exports from BNE included pork, seafood (fish and crustaceans), milk and other animal products, along with fresh fruit and vegetables, seeds and nuts. These top two categories of exports amounted to 34,473 tonnes, out of total exports of 47,939 tonnes.
The top import category for BNE was machinery, construction and mining equipment, engine parts, pumps and electronics, amounting to 12,678 tonnes, out of total exports through the airport of 37,935 tonnes.