Australia June Trade Deficit A$2.933 Billion
August 03 2015 - 9:31PM
RTTF1
Australia posted a seasonally adjusted merchandise trade deficit
of A$2.933 billion in June, the Australian Bureau of Statistics
said on Tuesday - expanding 10 percent on month.
That topped expectations for a shortfall of A$3.00 billion
following the upwardly revised A$2.677 billion deficit in May
(originally -A$2.751).
Exports were up A$830 million or 3.0 percent on month to
A$26.348 billion.
Non-rural goods advanced A$590 million (4 percent) and
non-monetary gold surged A$231 million (28 percent).
Rural goods slipped A$23 million (1 percent), while net exports
of goods under merchanting remained steady at A$32 million.
Services credits added A$32 million (1 percent).
Imports climbed A$1.086 billion or 4.0 percent to A$29.281
billion.
Intermediate and other merchandise goods jumped A$957 million
(10 percent) and consumption goods added A$80 million (1
percent).
Capital goods slipped A$42 million (1 percent) and non-monetary
gold fell A$19 million (5 percent). Services debits gained A$109
million (2 percent).
Also on Tuesday, the ABS said that the total value of retail
sales in Australia was up a seasonally adjusted 0.7 percent on
month in June, coming in at A$24.346 billion.
That beat forecasts for an increase of 0.4 percent, which would
have been unchanged from the May reading following an upward
revision from 0.3 percent.
For the second quarter of 2015, the value of retail sales
advanced 0.8 percent on quarter to A$70.302 billion.
By category, sales for household goods added 0.8 percent, along
with food retailing (0.2 percent), other retailing (0.4 percent),
cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (0.3 percent) and
clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (0.1 percent).
Department stores dipped 0.2 percent.
By region, sales in New South Wales added 0.5 percent, along
with Victoria (0.3 percent), South Australia (0.4 percent), the
Australian Capital Territory (0.5 percent), Western Australia (0.1
percent), Tasmania (0.2 percent) and the Northern Territory (0.2
percent). Queensland (0.0 percent) was relatively unchanged.