Retailers have stepped up their call for the removal of the $1000 GST-free threshold for imports, after new figures showed Australians spent more than $7 billion on shopping at overseas online shops during the 2012-13 financial year.

The Bureau of Statistics figures - released yesterday as part of Australia's trade balance data for August - showed that the total value of low-value threshold (LVT) imports from overseas retailers totalled $7.61 billion, helping to push the trade deficit further into the red.

Outspoken: Gerry Harvey has been a vocal opponent of online shopping from overseas companies. Credit:Rob Homer

About 88 to 95 per cent of the spending was estimated to be for consumer goods, the bureau added.

"In annual terms, overseas purchases of goods are rising at a 20 per cent annual pace, well above the 3 per cent pace of domestic retail spending," Commsec chief economist Craig James said.