Latest release

International Trade Price Indexes, Australia

Contains indexes measuring changes in prices of imports of merchandise landed in Australia and exports of merchandise shipped from Australia

Reference period

March 2021

Released

29/04/2021

Key statistics

Export price index rose 11.2% this quarter and 8.6% through the year.
Import price index rose 0.2% this quarter and fell 6.2% through the year.
The Australian dollar appreciated against the United States dollar.
The exchange rate had a downward effect on export and import prices this quarter.

Export price index

The main contributors to the rise were:

Metalliferous ores and metal scrap (+18.2%), driven by the demand for iron ore from China and constrained global supply.
Gas, natural and manufactured (+20.2%), due to the oil-linked contracts capturing the recovery in oil prices from late 2020.
Petroleum, petroleum products and related materials (+37.3%), driven by stronger oil demand and reduced global supply.
Coal, coke and briquettes (+5.8%), reflecting the demand for thermal coal during the northern hemisphere winter.

The main offsetting contributors were:

Gold, non-monetary (-9.7%), due to continued easing of global uncertainty.
Fish, crustaceans, molluscs (-26.8%), driven from decreased demand for lobsters from China.
Cereals and cereal preparations (-3.2%), driven from a record Australian harvest placing downward pressure on prices.

Through the year, the Export Price Index rose 8.6%. The main contributor was:

Metalliferous ores and metal scrap (+48.8%).

Export price index - all groups, quarterly % change
Quarter	% change
Mar-17	8.8
Jun-17	-5.7
Sep-17	-3.0
Dec-17	2.8
Mar-18	4.9
Jun-18	1.9
Sep-18	3.7
Dec-18	4.4
Mar-19	4.5
Jun-19	3.8
Sep-19	1.3
Dec-19	-5.2
Mar-20	2.7
Jun-20	-2.4
Sep-20	-5.1
Dec-20	5.5
Mar-21	11.2

["Quarter","% change"]

[["Mar-17","Jun-17","Sep-17","Dec-17","Mar-18","Jun-18","Sep-18","Dec-18","Mar-19","Jun-19","Sep-19","Dec-19","Mar-20","Jun-20","Sep-20","Dec-20","Mar-21"],[[8.8000000000000007],[-5.7000000000000002],[-3],[2.7999999999999998],[4.9000000000000004],[1.8999999999999999],[3.7000000000000002],[4.4000000000000004],[4.5],[3.7999999999999998],[1.3],[-5.2000000000000002],[2.7000000000000002],[-2.3999999999999999],[-5.0999999999999996],[5.5],[11.199999999999999]]]

[]

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Import price index

The main contributors to the rise were:

Petroleum, petroleum products and related materials (+26.3%), driven by stronger oil demand and reduced global supply.
Road vehicles (+0.6%), driven by increased demand for new passenger vehicles.

The main offsetting contributors were:

Telecommunications and sound recording equipment (-6.1%), due to the discounting of older model mobile phones.
Gold, non-monetary (-9.6%), due to continued easing of global uncertainty.
Office machines and ADP machines (-6.1%), due to the impact of exchange rates and the appreciating Australian dollar.

Through the year, the Import Price Index fell 6.2%. The main contributors were:

Petroleum, petroleum products and related materials (-9.8%),
Telecommunications and sound recording equipment (-9.7%), and

Office machines and ADP machines (-12.3%).

Import price index - all groups, quarterly % change
Quarter	% change
Mar-17	1.2
Jun-17	-0.1
Sep-17	-1.6
Dec-17	2.4
Mar-18	2.0
Jun-18	3.2
Sep-18	1.9
Dec-18	0.5
Mar-19	-0.5
Jun-19	0.9
Sep-19	0.4
Dec-19	0.7
Mar-20	-1.0
Jun-20	-1.9
Sep-20	-3.5
Dec-20	-1.0
Mar-21	0.2

["Quarter","% change"]

[["Mar-17","Jun-17","Sep-17","Dec-17","Mar-18","Jun-18","Sep-18","Dec-18","Mar-19","Jun-19","Sep-19","Dec-19","Mar-20","Jun-20","Sep-20","Dec-20","Mar-21"],[[1.2],[-0.10000000000000001],[-1.6000000000000001],[2.3999999999999999],[2],[3.2000000000000002],[1.8999999999999999],[0.5],[-0.5],[0.90000000000000002],[0.40000000000000002],[0.69999999999999996],[-1],[-1.8999999999999999],[-3.5],[-1],[0.20000000000000001]]]

[]

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[{"value":"0","axis_id":"0","axis_title":"% change","axis_units":"","tooltip_units":"","table_units":"","axis_min":null,"axis_max":null,"tick_interval":null,"precision":"-1","data_unit_prefix":"","data_unit_suffix":"","reverse_axis":false}]

Data downloads

Time series spreadsheets

Data files

Tables 1, 3 and 12. Import price index by SITC, index numbers and percentage changes

Download xls [214 KB]

Tables 4, 5 and 6. Import price index by balance of payments broad economic categories, index numbers

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Tables 7 and 9. Export price index by SITC, index numbers and percentage changes

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Tables 10 and 11. Export price index by balance of payments classification of exports, index numbers

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Table 13. Import price index by selected HTISC section, index numbers

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Tables 14 and 15. Import price index by selected ANZSIC division and subdivision, index numbers

Download xls [102 KB]

Table 16. Import price index: BEC category, index numbers

Download xls [75.5 KB]

Table 18. Export price index by selected AHECC section, index numbers

Download xls [216 KB]

Table 19. Export price index by selected ANZSIC division and subdivision, index numbers

Download xls [85 KB]

All time series spreadsheets

Download zip [542.24 KB]

Download all (47.75 KB)

Data cubes

Data files

Use of price indexes in contracts

Price indexes published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) provide summary measures of the movements in various categories of prices over time. They are published primarily for use in Government economic analysis. Price indexes are also often used in contracts by businesses and government to adjust payments and/or charges to take account of changes in categories of prices (Indexation Clauses).

Use of Price Indexes in Contracts sets out a range of issues that should be taken into account by parties considering including an Indexation Clause in a contract using an ABS published price index.

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 6457.0.