Australian home builder Scott Challen says that around 90% of the materials used in building houses in Australia come from China, including steel frames, cladding, insulation, and electrical cables.
What happened
Challen, who runs the QHI Group, a building company that operates primarily in southeast Queensland, made the estimate in an interview with The Epoch Times. He also noted that the low cost of Chinese supplies has benefited the profit margins of Australian businesses, but argued that it's time to reconsider Australia-China trade ties and potentially impose tariffs to protect local manufacturing.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, China is Australia's largest source of imports, with businesses importing around $130.2 billion worth of manufactured Chinese goods in 2025, a 12.5% increase from the previous year. Challen warned that the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement has made Australia too dependent on one trading partner and called for the country to rebuild its domestic manufacturing capacity, particularly in steel and construction materials.
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) pointed to data showing that China accounts for a significant portion of key import categories linked to the building industry, including 62% of imported clay constructions materials and refractory construction materials, and 53% of glass. Challen suggested that renegotiating free trade deals, including those with China, may be necessary to rebuild Australia's domestic manufacturing capacity.
