DECEMBER KEY FIGURES

		Oct 2009	Nov 2009	Dec 2009	Nov 09 to Dec 09
		$m	$m	$m	% change
BALANCE ON GOODS AND SERVICES
	Trend estimates	-1 579	-1 790	-1 988	. .
	Seasonally adjusted	-1 994	-1 728	-2 252	. .
CREDITS (Exports of goods & services)
	Trend estimates	19 525	19 495	19 457	-
	Seasonally adjusted	19 425	19 092	19 767	4
DEBITS (Imports of goods & services)
	Trend estimates	21 105	21 285	21 444	1
	Seasonally adjusted	21 419	20 820	22 018	6
. . not applicable
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)

Balance on Goods and Services

DECEMBER KEY POINTS


BALANCE ON GOODS AND SERVICES

• The trend estimate of the balance on goods and services was a deficit of $1,988m in December 2009, an increase of $198m on a revised deficit in November 2009.
• In seasonally adjusted terms, the balance on goods and services was a deficit of $2,252m in December 2009, an increase of $524m on the revised deficit in November 2009.

CREDITS (EXPORTS OF GOODS & SERVICES)

• Seasonally adjusted, goods and services credits rose $675m (4%) to $19,767m. Non-rural goods rose $571m (5%) with the coal, coke and briquettes component up $256m (10%), the metals (excl. non-monetary gold) component up $178m (25%) and the other mineral fuels component up $174m (13%). Rural goods rose $135m (7%) and non-monetary gold fell $46m (4%). Services credits rose $15m.

DEBITS (IMPORTS OF GOODS & SERVICES)

• Seasonally adjusted, goods and services debits rose $1,198m (6%) to $22,018m. Intermediate and other merchandise goods rose $760m (11%) with the fuels and lubricants component up $535m (26%), capital goods rose $246m (7%), non-monetary gold rose $224m (51%) and consumption goods fell $74m (1%). Services debits rose $42m (1%).

NOTES

FORTHCOMING ISSUES

ISSUE	Release Date
January 2010	4 March 2010
February 2010	1 April 2010
March 2010	6 May 2010
April 2010	3 June 2010
May 2010	6 July 2010
June 2010	4 August 2010

REVISIONS

Table 17 summarises revisions, in original current price terms, since the last issue of this publication, for the last three financial years and last six months.

Revisions have been made to incorporate the latest available data relating to merchandise trade and international trade in services. In original terms, these revisions have:

• increased the deficit on goods and services for November 2009 by $91m
• decreased the deficit on goods and services for the four months ending October 2009 by $265m
• decreased the surplus on goods and services for 2008-09 by $12m.

Seasonally adjusted and trend series are revised due to the incorporation of revised estimates, incorporation of estimates for the latest month and the rederivation of seasonal factors under the concurrent seasonal adjustment methodology.


FEATURE ARTICLE

A feature article Import and Export Invoice Currencies, 2009 will be released on 19 February 2010 and will be accessible on the ABS web site <www.abs.gov.au>. This article will analyse the major invoice currencies used for Australia's international merchandise trade. It will identify compositional changes in the currencies used to invoice goods imported into and exported from Australia.


INFORMATION PAPER

The publication Characteristics of Australian Exporters, 2008-09 (cat. no. 5368.0.55.006) will be released on 26 March 2010. This publication will analyse the number and characteristics of Australia's exporters. Estimates of exporters of merchandise trade are compiled from data sourced from the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service and from the Australian Taxation Office's Australian Business Register. Estimates on exporters of services are compiled largely from the ABS Survey of International Trade in Services.


CHANGES IN THE NEXT ISSUE

See Changes in the January 2010 issue for details of changes to industry statistics from the January 2010 issue of this publication.


INQUIRIES

For further information contact Selvi Sekhar on Canberra (02) 6252 5540 for Goods, and Karen McGuigan on Canberra (02) 6252 5415 for Services.