Economic Indicators

Trade Balance

A summary of developments in Australian foreign trade over the most recent month.

This note provides a summary of developments in Australian foreign trade over the most recent month, including analysis and commentary on key determinants for the export and import of both goods and services.

  • 07 Sep 2023 Trade Balance July 2023

    Australia’s external trade surplus widened to a seasonally adjusted A$8,039m in July, from a downwardly revised A$10,268m in the previous month. The consensus market expectation was for a A$10,000m surplus. The decline in the surplus was due to a combined effect of a decline in exports and a rise in imports.

  • 03 Aug 2023 Trade Balance June 2023

    Australia’s external trade surplus widened to a seasonally adjusted A$11,321m in June, from a downwardly revised A$10,497m in May (originally A$11,791m). The bigger surplus was driven by a fall in imports, partly offset by a drop in exports.

  • 06 Jul 2023 Trade Balance May 2023

    Australia’s external trade surplus rose to a seasonally adjusted A$11,791m in May, from a downwardly revised A$10,454m in April. The consensus market expectation was for a A$10,600m surplus. The rise in the surplus was caused by an increase in exports, partly offset by higher imports.

  • 08 Jun 2023 Trade Balance April 2023

    Australia’s external trade surplus fell to a seasonally adjusted A$11,158m in April, from a downwardly revised A$14,822m in March. The drop in the surplus was caused by a fall in exports and a rise in imports.

  • 04 May 2023 Trade Balance March 2023

    Australia’s external trade surplus rose to a seasonally adjusted A$15,269m in March, from an upwardly revised A$14,151m in February. The rise in the surplus was caused by a significant rise in exports, driven by a bounce in metal ores and minerals (mainly iron ore), amid higher export volumes and rising prices. Western Australia’s share in the totality of Aussie merchandise exports rose to 49%.

  • 06 Apr 2023 Trade Balance February 2023

    Australia’s external trade surplus surged to A$13,870m in February, from a downwardly revised A$11,266m in the previous month. The rise in the surplus was caused by imports falling more than exports. The largest contribution to a drop in imports came from a fall in consumption goods, driven mainly by a plunge in non-industrial transport equipment from a record high in January.

  • 07 Mar 2023 Trade Balance - January 2023

    Australia’s external trade surplus narrowed to a seasonally adjusted A$11,688m in January, from an upwardly revised A$12,985m in December. The narrower surplus was caused by imports rising more than exports. Western Australian merchandise exports rose another A$930m to an unadjusted A$24,640m, which is just 1.8% off the record high from June 2022.

  • 07 Feb 2023 Trade Balance - December 2022

    Australia’s external trade surplus narrowed to a seasonally adjusted A$12,237m in December.

  • 12 Jan 2023 Trade Balance - November 2022

    Australia’s seasonally adjusted external trade surplus widened to A$13,201m in November, from an upwardly revised A$12,743m in October.

  • 08 Dec 2022 Trade Balance - October 2022

    Australia’s seasonally adjusted external trade surplus declined to A$12,217m in October, from A$12,444m. The slight decline in trade surplus was driven by a A$568m drop in exports, partly offset by a A$340m fall in imports. In original terms, the value of iron ore exports rose by 0.5%, to be up 15.4% over the year.

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