Australia unexpectedly posted a trade deficit of AUD 3.02 billion in May 2026, shifting from a downwardly revised AUD 1.38 billion surplus in the previous month and defying market expectations of an AUD 2.2 billion surplus. It was the second trade deficit so far this year and the largest since December 2015, as exports fell while imports rose. Exports dropped 6.9% month-on-month to a four-month low of AUD 43.61 billion, reversing a 7.2% increase in April, primarily weighed down by non-monetary gold and metal ores and minerals. Meanwhile, imports grew 2.6% month-on-month to a record high of AUD 46.63 billion, accelerating from a downwardly revised 0.2% increase in April, reflecting stronger domestic demand, driven by imports of cars, aircraft, and data centers, amid higher fuel prices. source: Australian Bureau of Statistics

Australia recorded a trade surplus of 1791 AUD Million in April of 2026. Balance of Trade in Australia averaged 794.98 AUD Million from 1971 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 19056.00 AUD Million in June of 2022 and a record low of -3297.00 AUD Million in February of 2008. This page provides the latest reported value for - Australia Balance of Trade - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. Australia Balance of Trade - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on July of 2026.

Australia recorded a trade surplus of 1791 AUD Million in April of 2026. Balance of Trade in Australia is expected to be 2000.00 AUD Million by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Australia Balance of Trade is projected to trend around 3800.00 AUD Million in 2027 and 3700.00 AUD Million in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-06-04 01:30 AM
Balance of Trade
Apr A$1.791B A$-1.024B A$1.8B A$-1.3B
2026-07-02 01:30 AM
Balance of Trade
May A$-3.018B A$1.383B A$2.2B A$2.5B
2026-08-06 01:30 AM
Balance of Trade
Jun A$-3.018B A$ 1.9B


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Balance of Trade -3018.00 1383.00 AUD Million May 2026
Capital Flows 18646.00 20505.00 AUD Million Mar 2026
Current Account -27123.00 -23043.00 AUD Million Mar 2026
Exports MoM 43614.00 46838.00 AUD Million May 2026
External Debt 2764785.00 2751462.00 AUD Million Mar 2026
Foreign Direct Investment 54712.00 77930.00 AUD Million Dec 2025
Imports MoM 46632.00 45455.00 AUD Million May 2026
Terms of Trade 117.00 116.50 points Mar 2026
Tourist Arrivals 644770.00 818990.00 Apr 2026


Australia Balance of Trade
Australia has been recording consistent trade surpluses since 2017 due to rise in a resource exports like natural gas, metal ores and minerals, coal, coke and briquettes, and rural goods such as meat and cereals. The biggest trade surpluses are recorded with China, Hong Kong and Japan, and New Zealand while the biggest trade deficits are with the United States, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
-3018.00 1383.00 19056.00 -3297.00 1971 - 2026 AUD Million Monthly
SA

News Stream
Australia Logs Biggest Trade Deficit Since 2015
Australia unexpectedly posted a trade deficit of AUD 3.02 billion in May 2026, shifting from a downwardly revised AUD 1.38 billion surplus in the previous month and defying market expectations of an AUD 2.2 billion surplus. It was the second trade deficit so far this year and the largest since December 2015, as exports fell while imports rose. Exports dropped 6.9% month-on-month to a four-month low of AUD 43.61 billion, reversing a 7.2% increase in April, primarily weighed down by non-monetary gold and metal ores and minerals. Meanwhile, imports grew 2.6% month-on-month to a record high of AUD 46.63 billion, accelerating from a downwardly revised 0.2% increase in April, reflecting stronger domestic demand, driven by imports of cars, aircraft, and data centers, amid higher fuel prices.
2026-07-02
Australia Trade Balance Swings to Surplus
Australia posted a trade surplus of AUD 1.79 billion in April 2026, shifting from a downwardly revised AUD 1.02 billion deficit in the previous month and in line with market expectations. Exports grew 7.2% month-on-month to a three-year high of AUD 47.19 billion, after a downwardly revised 2.5% fall in March, primarily reflecting a sharp increase in metal ore and mineral prices amid supply concerns and rising energy costs. Non-rural goods shipments rose 11% to AUD 33.57 billion, mainly driven by a surge in metal ores and minerals, which soared 18.5% amid rising prices. Meanwhile, imports rose 0.8% month-on-month to AUD 47.19 billion, easing sharply from a downwardly revised 12.2% surge in March, as domestic demand moderated, with imports of computing equipment used in data centres falling back 42% after a surge in the previous month.
2026-06-04
Australia Posts First Trade Gap Since 2017
Australia unexpectedly posted a goods trade deficit of AUD 1.84 billion in March 2026, shifting from a downwardly revised AUD 5.03 billion surplus in the previous month and missing market expectations of an AUD 4.25 billion surplus. It marked the first trade gap since December 2017, as exports fell while imports surged. Exports dropped 2.7% mom to AUD 43.93 billion, reversing a downwardly revised 4.2% rise in February, mainly driven by other rural products. Also, non-monetary gold exports fell 6.1% to AUD 7.42 billion due to lower global gold prices, which fell over 10% in March, the steepest decline since June 2013. Meanwhile, imports jumped 14.1% to a record high of AUD 45.77 billion, reversing a downwardly revised 2.7% drop in February amid robust domestic demand. The growth was mainly boosted by purchases of capital goods, which surged 36.8% to AUD 12.68 billion, with ADP imports soaring 204.4%, reflecting strong investment in data centres, while purchases of fuel surged. .
2026-05-07