Skip to main content

Commodities

More than 40 commodities are traded through our Ports each year.  These commodities are key to fueling many everyday products.

The following showcases broad categories of commodities and products that have come through our Ports in recent years.

Commodity profile

3
ports
40 +
commodities
40 +
customers

Alumina

Export | Bunbury

The highest traded commodity through Southern Ports, Alumina looks similar to table salt but has a white powder consistency that can be smelted into aluminium metal – the most versatile metal.

Alumina

Did you know?

Our Port of Bunbury exports more than two thirds of Australia’s alumina exports and contributes to WA’s position as the world’s second largest producer of alumina bound for smelters around the world.

Grain

Export | Albany, Bunbury, Esperance

The grains industry is the largest agricultural sector in WA with crops including wheat, barley, canola, field pea, lupins, faba beans and oats. 

We work with grain handlers to connect the southern WA agricultural providers to the world to make a host of human and animal grade products. 

It has been a bumper few years for the industry achieving record after record

Grain loading into a vessel

Iron ore

Export | Esperance

Iron ore is the rocks and minerals from which iron can be extracted to produce steel. 

While the Port of Esperance isn’t the largest exporter of iron ore in the state, it definitely contributes to WA being the largest iron ore supplier in the world.

Iron ore stockpile

Spodumene

Export | Bunbury, Esperance

Spodumene is a mineral that contains lithium and is a critical source material for battery production. It takes around 8.9 kilograms of lithium to manufacture one electric vehicle.

Spodumene stockpiles in a shed

Did you know?

Our Port of Bunbury is the world’s largest lithium export port, closely followed by our Port of Esperance, ranked third.

Woodchips

Export | Albany, Bunbury, Esperance

Produced by the logging industry, the majority of our ports’ woodchips are sourced from blue gum and pine trees.

Woodchips at the Port of Bunbury

Caustic soda

Export | Bunbury

Sodium hydroxide, commonly known as caustic soda or lye, is a highly versatile substance used in a variety of manufacturing processes. Caustic soda, which is important into our Port of Bunbury is used to extract alumina from bauxite ore.

Caustic soda

Mineral sands

Export and imported | Bunbury

Mineral sands are old beach, river or dune sands that contain concentrations of rutile, ilmenite, zircon, leucoxene and monazite.

Mineral sands rutile

Did you know?

WA is a globally significant producer of mineral sands and is one of the world’s top 10 largest producers of ilmenite and rutile, both of which are traded through the Port of Bunbury.

Silica sand

Exported | Albany, Bunbury

Silica (silicon dioxide) is one of the most abundant and naturally occurring minerals on earth and is considered a critical mineral.

It is primarily used in the manufacture of glass for a range of items.

Silica sand stockpiles at the Port of Albany

Fuel

Exported and imported | Albany, Bunbury, Esperance

Petroleum is the name of given to both naturally occurring unprocessed crude oil and petroleum products such as refined oils and gasoline.

Fertiliser

Imported | Albany, Bunbury, Esperance

Fertilisers provide nutrients for plants and are widely used in broadacre agriculture across southern WA.

Fertiliser in a hold of a vessel

Coal

Imported | Bunbury

Classified as a sedimentary rock, coal is a common non-renewable fuel used mainly in the production of electricity. 

Coal is the largest source of energy in the world. Brown and black coal are mostly used as a source for power stations. 

Although there are local coal mines, WA also imports coal from other parts of Australia through our Port of Bunbury. It is used to top up supply at the region’s processing plants.

Coal stockpile

Copper concentrate

Exported | Bunbury, Esperance

Copper is one of the most crucial base metals in the modern infrastructure and is known as a battery mineral. Copper ore is extrated from a mine site, then processed before being shipping as a copper concentrate, which has a copper concentrate of around 28%.

Sulphur

Imported | Esperance

Sulphur is a chemical element used to derive sulphuric acid which is primarily used in the manufacture of fertilisers and agricultural chemicals.

While sulphur isn’t imported through Esperance since the Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine went into care and maintenance, it has a long history and capability to.

Sulphur in bulk at the Port of Esperance

Nickel

Exported | Esperance

Nickel is a green coloured ore, which is smelted into a malleable, silver-white metal. When alloyed with other elements, it imports toughness, strength, resistance to corrosion, and various electrical, magnetic and heat resistant properties.

Nickel exports at the Port of Esperance

Sugar

Imported | Bunbury

A sweet delicacy, sugar is imported in its crystal form from Mackay in Queensland, and used by industrial food and beverage companies, as well supplied to consumers as crystal sugar, treacle and golden syrup under Sugar Australia’s CSR brand. It is discharged from a specialised vessel straight into large food-grade containers.

Sugar vessel discharging at the Port of Bunbury

Feldspar

Exported | Esperance

A mineral often containing lithium and other metal bi-products.

Breakbulk and project cargo

Imported and exported | Bunbury, Esperance

Break bulk refers to large cargo items that cannot be containerised or shipped loosely in bulk, so are instead packaged or transported as individual pieces like large steel beams, machinery, or products in bulker bags.

Wind turbines arriving at the Port of Bunbury

Containers

Imported and exported | Esperance

Shipping containers are used to transport foods all over the globe. They are made from strong steel, making them incredibly durable.

Containers at the Port of Esperance

You may also be interested in

Trade profile
Discover our diverse trade profile across our three ports at Albany, Bunbury and Esperance.
Our services
We focus on delivering solutions for our customers, innovating and finding new ways to connect regional trade to international opportunities.
Our regions
We work across the entire south of Western Australia, with a combined expanse that is larger than the size of Victoria.
Our ports
Across three ports in Bunbury, Albany and Esperance, Southern Ports connects regional industries to global markets.
Planning
We're identifying future opportunities and long-term infrastructure needs, ensuring our ports are ready to support WA’s evolving trade network.
Vessel types
Learn more about the types of vessels that visit our ports each year.