Australian Bureau of Statistics
Celebrating the International Year of Statistics 2013

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Explanatory Notes

Australia's international accounts cover the closely related and integrated balance of payments and international investment position statistics. They are compiled in accordance with the fifth edition of the International Monetary Fund's Balance of Payments Manual.

Australia's balance of payments provides a statistical statement that systematically summarises the economic transactions between residents of Australia and residents of other countries.

Transactions cover the provision (changes in ownership) of goods, services, income, and financial claims on, and liabilities to, the rest of the world. Most transactions are exchanges where tangible resources are provided in exchange for financial claims. For example, wheat is exchanged for foreign currency. The system reflects the double entry of these offsetting transactions. However, not all transactions are exchanges, so the system also includes offset entries which are classified as transfers, such as gifts. Transfer entries offset the provision of real and financial resources when nothing is provided in exchange.

Australia's international investment position provides statistics showing the stock of foreign financial assets and liabilities of Australian residents. Changes in the balance sheet positions can occur as a result of transactions as recorded in the financial account of the balance of payments, and non-transaction changes such as price changes and exchange rate variations.

Further Reading

Balance of Payments and International Investment Position, Australia: Concepts, Sources and Methods (5331.0)
Provides a comprehensive description of the concepts, sources and methods for Australia's balance of payments and international investment position statistics.

A Guide to Australian Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Statistics (5362.0.55.001)
Provides a simple summary of the concepts behind the statistics, and briefly describes the source data used in the compilation of the accounts.

International Merchandise Trade, Australia: Concepts, Sources and Methods (5489.0)
Describes how the data, sourced from the Australian Customs Service, are used to compile detailed information by commodity on Australia's trade in goods with other countries.

Balance of Payments Manual, 5th edition, 1993.
This contains the international standards issued by the International Monetary Fund for the compilation of balance of payments and international investment position statistics.

Balance of Payments and International Investment Position, Australia (5302.0)
Presents detailed information on balance of payments and international investment, as well as detailed quarterly data on imports and exports of goods and services in original and seasonally adjusted terms at current price estimates and chain volume measures.

International Merchandise Imports, Australia (5439.0)
Provides total imports (merchandise trade basis) for the reference month only, together with commodity aggregates at the one digit level of the Standard International Trade Classification (Revision 3).

International Merchandise Trade, Australia (5422.0)
Provides quarterly information on the value of imports and exports of goods with selected countries and country groups. Details of imports and exports by commodity, state, industry and Broad Economic Categories are included. Historical data for the latest 12 years are also shown.

International Trade in Goods and Services, Australia (5368.0)
Provides monthly major aggregates for, and the balance on, international trade in goods and services in original, seasonally adjusted and trend estimates terms.

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