6457.0 - International Trade Price Indexes, Australia, Dec 2005  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 20/01/2006   
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DECEMBER QUARTER KEY FIGURES

Sep Qtr 05 to Dec Qtr 05
Dec Qtr 04 to Dec Qtr 05
% change
% change
Import Price Index all groups
0.4
2.3
Food and live animals
0.6
5.2
Beverages and tobacco
0.5
4.6
Crude materials
1.9
5.4
Mineral fuels, etc.
0.4
35.0
Animal and vegetable oils, etc.
11.1
9.1
Chemicals and related products
0.1
1.5
Manufactured goods by material
1.4
1.3
Machinery and transport equipment
0.0
-3.6
Miscellaneous manufactured articles
0.8
-0.3
Commodities and transactions n.e.s.
13.0
14.0
Export Price Index all groups
2.2
16.3
Food and live animals
1.4
3.8
Beverages and tobacco
0.2
0.8
Crude materials
1.1
19.6
Mineral fuels, etc.
1.0
43.8
Chemicals and related products
4.3
8.6
Manufactured goods by material
3.5
6.3
Machinery and transport equipment
0.8
1.6
Miscellaneous manufactured articles
1.2
6.0
IMPORT PRICE INDEX: all groups, Quarterly % change
Graph - Import Price Index all groups, Quarterly % change

EXPORT PRICE INDEX: all groups, Quarterly % change
Graph - Export Price Index all groups, Quarterly % change


DECEMBER QUARTER KEY POINTS

IMPORT PRICE INDEX

  • The Import Price Index increased by 0.4% in the December quarter 2005. Crude and other petroleum oils were the main contributors to the increase, due to the lag in imports of crude and other petroleum oils reacting to changes in global prices. See the note on page 2 regarding pricing of crude petroleum oils. The most significant offsetting price decreases were observed for imports of medicaments and diesel.

EXPORT PRICE INDEX
  • The Export Price Index increased by 2.2% in the December quarter 2005, following a 4.7% increase in the September quarter 2005. The increase this quarter was driven by price rises for gold, coal, alumina, aluminium, wheat, sugar and manganese ores and concentrates. The most significant offsetting price decrease was observed for exports of crude petroleum oils, reflecting lower world prices following two quarters of substantial price increases. There was also an offsetting price decrease for edible offal.


NOTES

FORTHCOMING ISSUES

ISSUE (QUARTER)Release Date
March 200621 April 2006
June 200621 July 2006


NOTE ON PRICING OF CRUDE PETROLEUM OILS

The international trade price indexes are compiled on a basis consistent with that used for recording international merchandise trade statistics. The relevant prices are those applicable to shipments entering Australia (imports) and those that leave Australia (exports) during the reference quarter. Imports are priced on a 'free on board' (f.o.b.) country of origin basis and exports on a f.o.b. basis at the Australian port of export. Prices denominated in foreign currencies are converted to Australian dollars using market exchange rates.

Because of the time lag between when an imported item leaves a foreign port and when it arrives in Australia, the f.o.b. prices used in the compilation of the import price index will tend to relate to an earlier point in time than the prices for equivalent exports. Therefore the import price index for commodities whose prices are determined in the international marketplace, such as crude oil, will lag the export price index in reacting to changes in those global prices. Similarly, the import price index will tend to lag the export price index in reacting to changes in exchange rates. This lagging effect is illustrated in the December quarter 2005, when the import price index for crude petroleum oils recorded an increase while the equivalent export price index recorded a fall.

ROUNDING

Any discrepancies between totals and sums of components in this publication are due to rounding.

RELATED STATISTICS

For more information about statistics in this publication and about other 'ABS data available on request', contact Steve Whennan on (02) 6252 6251, or email <steve.whennan@abs.gov.au>.

INQUIRIES

For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070 or Steve Whennan on Canberra (02) 6252 6251.