Preliminary trade data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show that Australia’s merchandise trade surplus reached US$10.1 billion in April 2021, the third highest level on record.
　　 “Exports remained stable. In April, exports increased by US$12.6 million, while imports fell by US$1.9 billion, which further expanded the trade surplus.” said Andrew Tomadini, head of international statistics at the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
　　 In April, Australia’s exports of coal, petroleum, metal ore and pharmaceutical products increased, pushing Australia’s total exports to a record US$36 billion.
　　Tomardini said that following the strong export performance in March, Australian metal ore exports in April increased by 1%, hitting a record high of US$16.5 billion, which is the main driving force for Australia’s total exports to reach a record level.
　　The increase in coal exports was driven by thermal coal. In April, Australia’s thermal coal exports increased by US$203 million, of which exports to India increased by US$116 million. Since the middle of 2020, Australia’s coal exports to India have been steadily increasing due to the substantial reduction in China’s demand for Australian coal.
　　 In April, the decline in Australian imports was mainly caused by non-monetary gold. In the same month, Australian non-monetary gold imports fell by US$455 million (46%).