5654.0.40.001 - Average Monthly Exchange Rates, DataReport, May 2003  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 03/06/2003   
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FINAL ISSUE

This is the final edition of 5654.0.40.001 - Average Monthly Exchange Rates. Users are directed to the Australian Taxation Office for a similar monthly service.
The website address for the ATO service is http://www.ato.gov.au/content/Professionals/22855.htm.
Other exchange rates information is available from Reserve Bank of Australia's website www.rba.gov.au.

MAIN FINDINGS

During May 2003 the midpoint of the buying and selling rates of $A1.00 was US Dollars 0.6464, up from 0.6082 during March 2003. This is the largest monthly appreciation for the midpoint of the buying and selling rates of the Australian Dollar against the US Dollar since November 1988. The Australian dollar has now appreciated against the US Dollar over nine consecutive months. In May 2003 the Australian Dollar depreciated against the Euro, falling to a midpoint of the buying and selling rates of 0.5595 Euro, from 0.5605 Euro in April.

CHANGES TO SCOPE AND COVERAGE

A single currency (the Euro) was adopted in many EU countries from 1 January 2002. The Commonwealth Bank of Australia ceased quoting telegraphic transfer and selling rates after that date for the following currencies: Austrian Shillings, Belgian Franc, Finnish Markka, French Franc, German Deutschemarks, Greek Drachmae, Irish Pounds, Italian Lire, Netherlands Guilder, Portuguese Escudo and Spanish Pesetas. These currencies have been omitted from this report. Historical data remains available via the electronic data release. Daily European exchange rate quotes are available from the European Central Bank. See the ECB website for details at www.ecb.int.


DATA AVAILABILITY

From July 1998 time series data has been delivered to clients from the ABSDB via AUSSTATS and Time Series Deliver, previously these files were delivered from INFOS. The change in source has resulted in changes to the available date range for some series.

Time series are available back to January 1966 for some exchange rates. We can produce on request calendar and financial year average exchange rate reports. In addition to the published exchange rates, there are also unpublished exchange rates for the following five currencies: Kuwaiti Dinars, Oman Rials, Saudi Riyals, Solomon Island Dollars, and Vanuatu Vatu. However the time series for these currencies only exists from May 2001.

Maintenance of these series will cease from June 2003.