SEPTEMBER KEY FIGURES

		Jul 2010	Aug 2010	Sep 2010	Aug 10 to Sep 10
		$m	$m	$m	% change
BALANCE ON GOODS AND SERVICES
	Trend estimates	2 254	2 338	2 368	. .
	Seasonally adjusted	1 704	2 446	1 760	. .
CREDITS (Exports of goods & services)
	Trend estimates	24 995	25 021	24 942	-
	Seasonally adjusted	25 216	24 524	24 151	-2
DEBITS (Imports of goods & services)
	Trend estimates	22 741	22 683	22 573	-
	Seasonally adjusted	23 512	22 078	22 391	1
. . not applicable
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)

Balance on Goods and Services

SEPTEMBER KEY POINTS


BALANCE ON GOODS AND SERVICES

• The trend estimate of the balance on goods and services was a surplus of $2,368m in September 2010, an increase of $30m on the revised surplus in August 2010.
• In seasonally adjusted terms, the balance on goods and services was a surplus of $1,760m in September 2010, a decrease of $686m on the revised surplus in August 2010.

CREDITS (EXPORTS OF GOODS & SERVICES)

• In seasonally adjusted terms, goods and services credits fell $373m (2%) to $24,151m. Non-rural goods fell $483m (3%) and rural goods fell $198m (8%). Non-monetary gold rose $306m (36%) and net exports of goods under merchanting rose $2m (7%). Services credits remained steady.

DEBITS (IMPORTS OF GOODS & SERVICES)

• In seasonally adjusted terms, goods and services debits rose $313m (1%) to $22,391m. Non-monetary gold rose $333m and intermediate and other merchandise goods rose $185m (2%). Capital goods fell $163m (4%) and consumption goods fell $1m. Services debits fell $41m (1%).

NOTES

FORTHCOMING ISSUES

ISSUE	Release Date
October 2010	2 December 2010
November 2010	11 January 2011
December 2010	3 February 2011
January 2011	3 March 2011
February 2011	5 April 2011
March 2011	10 May 2011

REVISIONS

The international merchandise trade series have been revised from March 2010 onwards. The international trade in goods and services on a balance of payments basis series have been revised from July 2006 onwards.

Table 17 summarises revisions to goods and services on a balance of payments basis, in original current price terms, since the last issue of this publication, for the last three financial years and last six months. In original terms, the revisions have:

• increased the deficit on goods and services for 2006-07 by $280m
• increased the deficit on goods and services for 2007-08 by $273m
• increased the surplus on goods and services for 2008--09 by $1,735m
• decreased the deficit on goods and services for 2009-10 by $1,376m
• increased the surplus on goods and services for August 2010 by $180m.

Seasonally adjusted and trend series have been revised due to the incorporation of estimates for the latest month, the annual seasonal re-analysis and the rederivation of seasonal factors under the concurrent seasonal adjustment methodology.


IRON ORE AND COAL PRICES

An adjustment has been made to the value of the 'metal ores and minerals' component in the balance of payments series. See the section Commodity prices adjustment for details.


CHANGES IN THIS AND FORTHCOMING ISSUES

Changes have been made to the OECD country group and the Confidential Commodities List, and the annual seasonal re-analysis has been undertaken. In addition, changes will be made to export and import statistical codes. For details see Changes in this and forthcoming issues.


TRADE IN SERVICES DATA CUBES

Financial Year Trade in Services data cubes incorporating data for 2009-10 (cat. no. 5368.0.55.003) will be released on 3 December 2010.


INQUIRIES

For further information contact Selvi Sekhar on Canberra (02) 6252 5540 for Goods, and Lee Taylor on Canberra (02) 6252 6377 for Services.