1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2002  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 25/01/2002   
   Page tools: Print Print Page  
Contents >> Prices >> International trade price indexes

Import Price Index

The Import Price Index measures changes in the prices of imports of merchandise landed in Australia using free-on-board prices in the country of origin. The index numbers for each quarter relate to prices of imports landed in Australia during the period.

The first Import Price Index produced by the ABS covered the period from the September quarter 1981 to the June quarter 1991 on a reference base of 1981-82 = 100.0. This index replaced an index previously published by the Reserve Bank of Australia on a reference base of 1966-67 = 100.0. The Reserve Bank's import price index was published from 1928 until September 1982.

A new Import Price Index series was introduced in December 1991 with monthly index numbers compiled from April 1991 until June 1997 when the index moved to a quarterly cycle. The current index has a reference base of 1989-90 = 100.0 and was reviewed and reweighted in September quarter 2000 using 1999-2000 international trade data. The plan is to update the index weights each year using the latest trade data.

To give a broad indication of changes over the whole of the last century, table 28.16 draws on the available international trade indexes. Import Price Index numbers based on the Standard International Trade Classification Revision 3 (SITC Rev. 3) are contained in table 30.34 of International accounts and trade.


Export Price Index


The Export Price Index measures changes in prices of exports of merchandise from Australia. The index numbers for each month relate to prices of exports actually shipped during the period.

The first index of export prices was compiled annually from 1901 to 1916-17 as a current-weighted unit value index.

The method of calculation was changed in 1918 to incorporate fixed weights, applied to the average unit values of each export in successive years. This index was published for the years 1897 to 1929-30.

Two new series of monthly export price indexes were published in 1937, compiled back to 1928. One index used fixed weights and the other used changing weights. The methodology was changed and actual export prices were used instead of unit values. The indexes were compiled until 1962.

In 1962 a fixed weighted index on the reference base of 1959-60 = 100.0 was introduced. In July 1969 a new interim series was linked to this index, still with a reference base of 1959-60 = 100.0, but with updated weights. The interim index was replaced in 1979 by an index on a reference base of 1974-75. The current index, which was changed from a monthly to a quarterly basis after June 1997, has a reference base of 1989-90 = 100.0. It was reviewed and reweighted in September quarter 2000 using 1998-99 and 1999-2000 international trade data. The plan is to update the index weights each year using the latest trade data.

Index numbers based on the Australian Harmonised Export Commodity Classification (AHECC) are contained in table 30.33 of International accounts and trade. The export price index for all groups is provided for the whole of the last century in table 28.16.



28.16 INTERNATIONAL TRADE PRICE INDEXES(a)

Year
Export Price Index (All groups)
Import Price Index (All groups)

1901
15
. .
1911
17
. .
1921-22
25
. .
1931-32
18
22
1936-37
29
21
1941-42
27
35
1946-47
53
51
1951-52
123
92
1956-57
115
91
1960-61
93
95
1961-62
94
94
1962-63
99
94
1963-64
112
96
1964-65
103
97
1965-66
105
99
1966-67
103
100
1967-68
98
99
1968-69
100
100
1969-70
101
103
1970-71
99
108
1971-72
102
114
1972-73
131
113
1973-74
157
131
1974-75
177
189
1975-76
193
214
1976-77
216
246
1977-78
227
278
1978-79
256
307
1979-80
309
403
1980-81
328
450
1981-82
332
458
1982-83
360
506
1983-84
369
524
1984-85
396
580
1985-86
417
659
1986-87
430
731
1987-88
469
742
1988-89
501
694
1989-90
527
729
1990-91
501
752
1991-92
472
749
1992-93
493
817
1993-94
484
843
1994-95
501
837
1995-96
508
838
1996-97
488
791
1997-98
522
841
1998-99
505
874
1999-2000
517
876
2000-01
606
979

(a) Reference base year 1968-69 = 100.0.

Source: The sources used for the Import Price Index are the Reserve Bank of Australia Bulletin up to and including 1981-82, and the ABS Import Price Index, Australia (6414.0) to 1999-2000. The source used for the Export Price Index to 1999-2000 is the ABS Export Price Index, Australia (6405.0). From 2000-01 the source used for both Import and Export Price Indexes is International Trade Price Indexes, Australia (6457.0)



Previous PageNext Page