New Zealand made goods were the most trusted and preferred of foreign suppliers with Australian consumers last year.
Though Australian consumers were more likely to buy goods made in the country in 2020, New Zealand was the most favoured of foreign suppliers. Photo: 123rf
Australians overwhelmingly bought local during the pandemic, according to a Roy Morgan survey, with 93 percent showing they were more likely to buy home made, up from 87 percent in the 2019 survey.
"The closure of international borders and restrictions on travel around the world appears to have helped increase support for Australian-made goods at the expense of overseas products," Roy Morgan's chief executive, Michele Levine, said.
New Zealand was ahead of any other foreign supplier, with 55 percent going for Kiwi made products, down 4 percentage points, followed by Britain on 51 percent, the US on 47 percent, and Japan on 46 percent.
The country which fell out of favour the most was China, down 9 percentage points to 21 percent.
Levine said it was "unsurprising" that consumer buying preferences had turned away from China.
"Over the last year relations between Australia and China have deteriorated despite the fact over 30 percent of Australia's two-way trade ... is with China.
"In response to Australian requests for an investigation into the origins of Covid-19 the Chinese government has slapped tariffs and import restrictions on a range of Australian goods."