A research article, Export and Import Invoice Currencies, has been published as part of this release. This article explores the major currencies used to invoice Australia's merchandise imports and exports.
International Trade in Goods and Services, Australia
Statistics about international trade in goods and services, on a balance of payments and international trade basis
Key statistics
- The seasonally adjusted balance on goods and services surplus decreased $2,496 to $12,243m in September
- Goods and services credits (exports) fell $3,081m (6%) to $44,969m driven by falls in iron ore prices
- Goods and services debits (imports) fell $586m (2%) to $32,725m driven by continued global supply chain constraints
Main features
Key Figures, Seasonally Adjusted
Jul-21 ($m) | Aug-21 ($m) | Sep-21 ($m) | Aug-21 to Sep-21 ($m) | Aug-21 to Sep-21 (%) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Balance on goods and services | 13,688 | 14,739 | 12,243 | - 2,496 | na | |
Credits (Exports of goods & services) | 46,395 | 48,050 | 44,969 | - 3,081 | - 6 | |
Debits (Imports of goods & services) | - 32,707 | - 33,311 | - 32,725 | - 586 | - 2 |
na not applicable
Balance on goods and services
COVID-19
Balance on goods and services
In seasonally adjusted terms, the balance on goods and services was a surplus of $12,243m in September 2021, a decrease of $2,496m on the surplus in August 2021.
Balance on goods and services(a), seasonally adjusted
Jul-21 ($m) | Aug-21 ($m) | Sep-21 ($m) | Aug-21 to Sep-21 ($m) | Aug-21 to Sep-21 (%) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Balance on goods and services | 13,688 | 14,739 | 12,243 | - 2,496 | na | ||
Total goods and services credits | 46,395 | 48,050 | 44,969 | - 3,081 | - 6 | ||
Total goods credits | 41,489 | 43,277 | 40,039 | - 3,238 | - 7 | ||
Total services credits | 4,906 | 4,772 | 4,929 | 157 | 3 | ||
Total goods and services debits | - 32,707 | - 33,311 | - 32,725 | - 586 | - 2 | ||
Total goods debits | - 28,400 | - 28,998 | - 28,221 | - 777 | - 3 | ||
Total services debits | - 4,307 | - 4,313 | - 4,504 | 191 | 4 | ||
na not applicable
(a) For sign conventions, see the Explanatory notes.
Goods and services credits (exports), seasonally adjusted
Goods credits
(a) Trend series suspended from March 2019.
Goods credits, seasonally adjusted
Jul-21 ($m) | Aug-21 ($m) | Sep-21 ($m) | Aug-21 to Sep-21 ($m) | Aug-21 to Sep-21 (%) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total goods credits | 41,489 | 43,277 | 40,039 | - 3,238 | - 7 | |||
General merchandise | 39,371 | 40,809 | 38,564 | - 2,245 | - 6 | |||
Rural goods | 4,846 | 5,141 | 5,158 | 17 | - | |||
Non-rural goods | 34,525 | 35,669 | 33,406 | - 2,263 | - 6 | |||
Net exports of goods under merchanting(a) | 34 | 34 | 34 | - | - | |||
Non-monetary gold(a) | 2,084 | 2,434 | 1,441 | - 993 | - 41 |
- Nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
(a) This component is not seasonally adjusted.
Rural goods
Non-rural goods
Services credits
Services Credits
(a) Trend series suspended from March 2019.
Services credits, seasonally adjusted
Jul-21 ($m) | Aug-21 ($m) | Sep-21 ($m) | Aug-21 to Sep-21 ($m) | Aug-21 to Sep-21 (%) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total services credits | 4,906 | 4,772 | 4,929 | 157 | 3 | ||
Manufacturing services on physical inputs owned by others(a) | 3 | 3 | 3 | - | - | ||
Maintenance and repair services n.i.e.(a) | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 200 | ||
Transport | 327 | 323 | 323 | - | - | ||
Passenger(b)(c) | 7 | 2 | 2 | - | - | ||
Freight(d) | 27 | 27 | 26 | - 1 | - 4 | ||
Other | 152 | 152 | 152 | - | - | ||
Postal and courier services(e) | 141 | 141 | 142 | 1 | 1 | ||
Travel(c) | 1,876 | 1,720 | 1,851 | 131 | 8 | ||
Other services | 2,700 | 2,726 | 2,750 | 24 | 1 | ||
Memorandum item | |||||||
Tourism related services credits(f) | 1,883 | 1,722 | 1,853 | 131 | 8 |
- Nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
(a) This component is not seasonally adjusted.
(b) Passenger transportation services includes agency fees and commissions for air transport.
(c) This component has been seasonally adjusted using the forward factor method since March 2020 due to the impacts of COVID-19.
(d) In using these seasonally adjusted series, care should be exercised because of the difficulties associated with reliably estimating the seasonal pattern.
(e) Postal and courier services includes indirect commissions for sea transport.
(f) For a more detailed explanation of tourism related services, see the Explanatory notes.
Goods and services debits (imports), seasonally adjusted
Goods debits
Goods Debits
(a) Trend series suspended from March 2019.
Goods debits (imports) (a), seasonally adjusted
Jul-21 ($m) | Aug-21 ($m) | Sep-21 ($m) | Aug-21 to Sep-21 ($m) | Aug-21 to Sep-21 (%) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total goods debits | - 28,400 | - 28,998 | - 28,221 | - 777 | - 3 | ||
General merchandise debits | - 27,963 | - 28,407 | - 27,822 | - 585 | - 2 | ||
Consumption goods | - 9,326 | - 9,820 | - 8,833 | - 987 | - 10 | ||
Capital goods | - 7,066 | - 6,733 | - 7,199 | 466 | 7 | ||
Intermediate and other merchandise goods | - 11,571 | - 11,853 | - 11,791 | - 62 | - 1 | ||
Non-monetary gold(b) | - 437 | - 591 | - 399 | - 192 | - 32 |
(a) For sign conventions, see the Explanatory notes.
(b) This component is not seasonally adjusted.
Consumption goods
Capital goods
Intermediate and other merchandise goods
Services debits
(a) Trend series suspended from March 2019.
Services debits(a), seasonally adjusted
Jul-21 ($m) | Aug-21 ($m) | Sep-21 ($m) | Aug-21 to Sep-21 ($m) | Aug-21 to Sep-21 (%) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total services debits | - 4,307 | - 4,313 | - 4,504 | 191 | 4 | ||
Manufacturing services on physical inputs owned by others(b) | - | - | - | - | - | ||
Maintenance and repair services n.i.e.(b) | - 54 | - 41 | - 37 | - 4 | - 10 | ||
Transport | - 1,462 | - 1,474 | - 1,642 | 168 | 11 | ||
Passenger(c)(d) | - 67 | - 21 | - 15 | - 6 | - 29 | ||
Freight | - 1,360 | - 1,417 | - 1,593 | 176 | 12 | ||
Other(b) | - 16 | - 16 | - 16 | - | - | ||
Postal and courier services(e)(f) | - 19 | - 19 | - 18 | - 1 | - 5 | ||
Travel(d) | - 69 | - 75 | - 69 | - 6 | - 8 | ||
Other services | - 2,722 | - 2,724 | - 2,756 | 32 | 1 | ||
Memorandum item | |||||||
Tourism related services debits(g) | - 136 | - 96 | - 84 | - 12 | - 13 |
- Nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
(a) For sign conventions, see the Explanatory Notes.
(b) This component is not seasonally adjusted.
(c) Passenger services includes agency fees and commissions for air transport.
(d) This component has been seasonally adjusted using the forward factor method since March 2020 due to the impacts of COVID-19.
(e) Postal and courier services includes indirect commissions for sea transport.
(f) In using these seasonally adjusted series, care should be exercised because of the difficulties associated with reliably estimating the seasonal pattern.
(g) For a more detailed explanation of tourism related services, see the Explanatory notes.
Previous catalogue number
This release previously used catalogue number 5368.0.
Data downloads
Time series spreadsheets
Table 1. Goods and services, summary - seasonally adjusted and trend estimates, current prices
Table 2. Goods and services, summary - original, current prices
Table 3. Goods credits, original, current prices
Table 4. Goods debits, original, current prices
Table 5. Goods credits, seasonally adjusted, current prices
Table 6. Goods debits, seasonally adjusted, current prices
Data Cubes
Table 18. Balance of payments broad economic categories (detailed level), by country, latest 7 months, customs value, ($million)
Table 19. Balance of payments broad economic categories (1 and 2 digit), by country, latest 7 months, customs value, ($million)