Main page › Guides › Prefab building imports
What Australia imports in prefabricated buildings
| Customs heading | 9406, prefabricated buildings[1] |
|---|---|
| Imports, calendar 2024 | US$163.3 million[2] |
| Largest source, 2024 | China, US$114.4 million (70.1%)[2] |
| Year to November 2025 | A$326.4 million (FOB), a record[3] |
| Homes separately identified | No[3] |
Australia imported US$163.3 million of prefabricated buildings in calendar 2024, and China supplied 70.1% of it; no other country supplied more than about 3%.[2] An industry analysis of ABS figures puts imports at a record A$326.4 million in the year to November 2025.[3] Most of the value is steel and other non-wood buildings rather than timber, and the statistics do not separate homes from commercial and industrial buildings.[2][3]
This page sets out what the official trade figures say about prefabricated buildings coming into Australia: how they are classified, how much arrives, and from where. It is the starting point for the other guides in this series, which cover the border rules, building compliance and the buyer's position.
How imports are counted §
Every imported good is classified under the Customs Tariff. Prefabricated buildings sit under heading 9406, which has three parts:[1]
- 9406.10, of wood
- Prefabricated buildings made of wood.
- 9406.20, modular building units of steel
- Steel modular units.
- 9406.90, other
- Everything else. By value this is the largest line, made up mostly of steel and other non-wood buildings.[3]
The heading describes what the goods are made of, not what they are used for. A commercial building and a home made of the same material fall in the same line.[3]
How much arrives §
The most recent full calendar year in the UN's database is 2024. Australia reported US$163.3 million of prefabricated building imports that year.[2]
| Subheading | Imports 2024 (US$m) | Share | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9406.10, of wood | 12.3 | 7.5% | UN Comtrade[2] |
| 9406.20, modular units of steel | 17.0 | 10.4% | UN Comtrade[2] |
| 9406.90, other | 134.0 | 82.1% | UN Comtrade[2] |
| Total | 163.3 | 100% | UN Comtrade[2] |
More recent figures come from an analysis of ABS data published by Forest & Wood Products Australia. It puts imports at a record A$326.4 million (FOB) in the year to November 2025, up 51.1% on the year before. Steel and other non-wood buildings made up A$227.3 million and wooden buildings A$23.3 million.[3]
The two sets of figures are not directly comparable. One is a calendar year in US dollars, the other a year ending in November in Australian dollars, compiled by a third party.[2][3] Both show imports dominated by non-wood buildings.
Where they come from §
China is by far the largest source. In 2024 it supplied US$114.4 million, or 70.1% of the total.[2] The industry analysis of the year to November 2025 puts China's share at 66.1%.[3]
| Country | Imports 2024 (US$m) | Share | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 114.4 | 70.1% | UN Comtrade[2] |
| Germany | 5.1 | 3.1% | UN Comtrade[2] |
| Malaysia | 5.1 | 3.1% | UN Comtrade[2] |
| Viet Nam | 4.2 | 2.6% | UN Comtrade[2] |
| Cambodia | 3.5 | 2.1% | UN Comtrade[2] |
| United States | 3.3 | 2.0% | UN Comtrade[2] |
| Estonia | 2.8 | 1.7% | UN Comtrade[2] |
| Canada | 2.6 | 1.6% | UN Comtrade[2] |
| New Zealand | 2.6 | 1.6% | UN Comtrade[2] |
| Singapore | 2.3 | 1.4% | UN Comtrade[2] |
Wooden buildings follow a different pattern. In the year to November 2025, China supplied 43.0% of wooden prefabricated building imports, Estonia 20.7% and Latvia 9.5%.[3]
What the figures do not show §
The trade data cannot tell you how many imported homes Australians buy. The analysis published by Forest & Wood Products Australia says the categories do not separate industrial and commercial buildings from dwellings, and indicates that most of the recent growth appears to be in commercial and industrial types.[3]
The figures also leave out a large part of what actually ends up in a home. Components shipped separately, such as windows, doors, timber, steel framing and fittings, are not part of heading 9406,[1] so a home built locally from imported parts does not appear here at all. Those flows are not covered by the sources compiled here.
What the figures do show is that a large and growing volume of prefabricated buildings crosses the border every year, mostly from one country, and that the border is where checks happen. In 2025–26 Border Force recorded a prefabricated building among its asbestos detections.[4] The rules that apply at that point are set out in customs duty, GST and biosecurity on an imported prefab home.
What is not covered here §
Not covered by the sources compiled here: the number or value of imported dwellings specifically; imports of building components outside heading 9406; imports by state or territory; prices of imported homes; the market share of imported homes in Australian housing; and any forecast of future imports. UN Comtrade figures for 2025 were not available to this page at the time of writing. The ABS trade tables were not reviewed directly; the 2025 figures are as published in the industry analysis cited.
Related guides:
- Importing a prefab home into Australia
- Customs duty, GST and biosecurity on an imported prefab home
- Imported prefab kits — what compliance requires
- Buying an imported prefab home from an overseas supplier
- How Australia compares internationally on prefab housing
Sent to info@modularlivingaustralia.com.au and handled by a person. See Privacy.
References §
- Australian Border Force — Customs Tariff, Schedule 3, Chapter 94, operative 1 July 2026. Heading 9406, prefabricated buildings, has three subheadings — 9406.10.00 of wood; 9406.20.00 modular building units, of steel; 9406.90.00 other. abf.gov.au/importing-exporting-and-manufacturing/tariff-classification/current-tariff/schedule-3/section-xx/chapter-94
- United Nations, UN Comtrade database — Reporter Australia, imports, HS heading 9406 and subheadings 940610, 940620 and 940690, calendar year 2024, values in US dollars as reported to the United Nations. World total US$163,252,843; China US$114,429,336; Germany US$5,062,352; Malaysia US$5,054,480; Viet Nam US$4,230,386; Cambodia US$3,452,183; United States US$3,276,237; Estonia US$2,837,340; Canada US$2,564,814; New Zealand US$2,550,619; Singapore US$2,307,019. Subheadings — 940610 US$12,254,646; 940620 US$16,985,084; 940690 US$134,013,113. Shares on this page are calculated from these values. comtradeplus.un.org
- Forest & Wood Products Australia, analysis of ABS trade data by IndustryEdge — News item, 26 February 2026. Prefabricated building imports reached a record A$326.4 million (FOB) in the year to November 2025, with mainland China supplying 66.1% (A$215.9 million). Steel and other non-wood prefabricated buildings were A$227.3 million, up 28.9%; wooden prefabricated buildings A$23.3 million, up 31.0%, sourced 43.0% from China, 20.7% from Estonia and 9.5% from Latvia. The data does not separate industrial and commercial buildings from dwellings. A timber-industry body reporting third-party analysis of official statistics. fwpa.com.au/news/steel-and-other-non-wood-prefabricated-buildings-dominate-imports
- Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency (data from the Australian Border Force) — Asbestos detections at the border, July 2025 – June 2026, published 2 September 2026. 43 detections from 916 tests; product types with detections include building products and a prefabricated building (January 2026). asbestossafety.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-09/Asbestos_Detections_at_the_Border_2025_26.pdf
Figures are as published by the sources above at their respective dates and are paraphrased summaries, not verbatim reproductions. Verify current pricing and rules directly with builders, lenders and planning authorities.