Australia International Trade in Goods, August 2026 — Surplus Narrows $856 Million to $495 Million
ABS (1 Oct. 2026): Australia's seasonally adjusted goods surplus fell $856m to $495m in August 2026. Exports +3.7% (gold, coal); imports +5.8% (ADP equipment, gold).
Key figures (August 2026, released 1 October 2026)
As of 8 October 2026 (KST); ABS International Trade in Goods, August 2026, released 1 October 2026 at 11:30am AEST. Primary source: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/international-trade/international-trade-goods/aug-2026[1]
| Indicator (Australia, seasonally adjusted, $ million) | Previous (July 2026) | Current (August 2026) | Change vs previous (month) | Change vs year ago (Aug 2025) | Evidence type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance on goods (surplus) | 1,351 (revised; first published 1,923) | 495 | -856 | -377 (from 872) | Issuer record (ABS); year-ago change is this page's calculation |
| Goods credits (exports) | 45,726 (revised; first published 46,261) | 47,433 | +1,707 (+3.7%) | +6,313 (+15.4%, from 41,120) | Issuer record (ABS); year-ago change is this page's calculation |
| Goods debits (imports) | 44,375 (revised; first published 44,339) | 46,938 | +2,563 (+5.8%) | +6,690 (+16.6%, from 40,248) | Issuer record (ABS); year-ago change is this page's calculation |
| Non-monetary gold exports (component not seasonally adjusted) | 5,351 | 6,431 | +1,080 (+20.2%) | +3,133 (+95.0%, from 3,298) | Issuer record (ABS release and time series); year-ago change is this page's calculation |
| Coal, coke and briquettes exports | 6,328 | 6,623 | +295 (+4.7%) | +1,279 (+23.9%, from 5,344) | Issuer record (ABS release and time series); year-ago change is this page's calculation |
| Capital goods imports | 10,798 | 13,208 | +2,410 (+22.3%) | +3,150 (+31.3%, from 10,058) | Issuer record (ABS release and time series); year-ago change is this page's calculation |
| ADP (computer) equipment imports | 2,404 | 4,311 | +1,907 (+79.3%) | +2,509 (+139.2%, from 1,802) | Issuer record (ABS release and time series); year-ago change is this page's calculation |
Comparison basis: the ABS compares each month with the previous month on a seasonally adjusted, balance of payments basis; July figures are as revised in the August release. August 2025 levels come from the ABS time series spreadsheets published with the August release, and the year-on-year changes are this page's calculations. Values are in $ million, rounded to the nearest million. The ABS shows imports (debits) with a negative sign; this page shows them as positive amounts.[1][2][3][4]
In three lines 1. Australia's seasonally adjusted goods trade surplus narrowed by $856 million to $495 million in August 2026. 2. Exports rose $1,707 million (3.7%), led by non-monetary gold and coal; imports rose more, $2,563 million (5.8%), led by ADP equipment and non-monetary gold. 3. Capital goods imports jumped 22.3%, with ADP equipment up 79.3%; the July surplus was revised down from $1,923 million to $1,351 million.[1]
Comparison terms
Balance of payments basis vs merchandise trade basis: the headline figures are preliminary estimates on a balance of payments basis, made by adjusting customs-based merchandise trade data for classification, coverage and timing. The selected commodity and country tables are on a merchandise trade basis.[1]
Credits and debits: credits are exports, debits are imports. Non-monetary gold and net exports of goods under merchanting are not seasonally adjusted; the ABS cautions that seasonally adjusted series should be used with care because the seasonal pattern is hard to estimate reliably.[1]
Goods only: international trade in services has not been produced monthly since the September 2023 reference month.[1]
Exports by component (seasonally adjusted except non-monetary gold, $ million)
| Component | Jun 2026 | Jul 2026 | Aug 2026 | Change Jul to Aug |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total goods credits | 47,411 | 45,726 | 47,433 | +1,707 (+3.7%) |
| Rural goods | 6,250 | 6,439 | 6,377 | -62 (-1.0%) |
| Non-rural goods | 33,863 | 33,873 | 34,562 | +689 (+2.0%) |
| Metal ores and minerals | 14,045 | 13,723 | 13,511 | -212 (-1.5%) |
| Coal, coke and briquettes | 6,544 | 6,328 | 6,623 | +295 (+4.7%) |
| Other mineral fuels | 6,403 | 7,059 | 7,259 | +200 (+2.8%) |
| Non-monetary gold (not seasonally adjusted) | 7,237 | 5,351 | 6,431 | +1,080 (+20.2%) |
Merchandise trade basis, selected commodities in August: iron ore lump quantities rose 17.2% while unit values fell 4.4%; thermal coal quantities rose 9.9%; LNG unit values rose 1.8%.[1]
Imports by component (seasonally adjusted except non-monetary gold, $ million)
| Component | Jun 2026 | Jul 2026 | Aug 2026 | Change Jul to Aug |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total goods debits | 45,449 | 44,375 | 46,938 | +2,563 (+5.8%) |
| Consumption goods | 13,140 | 13,716 | 12,762 | -954 (-7.0%) |
| Capital goods | 10,473 | 10,798 | 13,208 | +2,410 (+22.3%) |
| ADP equipment | 1,551 | 2,404 | 4,311 | +1,907 (+79.3%) |
| Intermediate and other merchandise goods | 19,439 | 18,210 | 17,813 | -397 (-2.2%) |
| Non-monetary gold (not seasonally adjusted) | 2,397 | 1,651 | 3,155 | +1,504 (+91.1%) |
Consumption goods fell, driven by non-industrial transport equipment (down $927 million, 21.2%); intermediate goods fell, driven by fuels and lubricants (down $303 million, 5.0%).[1]
Reading in pairs
Exports vs imports. Both rose in August, but imports rose by $856 million more than exports ($2,563 million against $1,707 million), which is the fall in the surplus.[1]
Seasonally adjusted vs trend. The seasonally adjusted surplus was $495 million; the trend surplus was $1,663 million (up from $1,293 million in July).[1]
Value vs quantity and price. Iron ore lump export value rose 12.0% in August (merchandise trade basis, original terms), made up of a 17.2% rise in quantities and a 4.4% fall in unit values.[1]
First published vs revised. The July 2026 release put the July surplus at $1,923 million; in the August release July is $1,351 million (exports revised from $46,261 million to $45,726 million, imports from $44,339 million to $44,375 million). Balance of payments revisions go back to October 2024 for exports and July 2022 for imports.[1][2]
How the ABS describes the moves (attribution, quoted)
The ABS says exports increased "driven by Non-monetary gold and Coal, coke and briquettes" and imports increased "driven by ADP equipment and Non-monetary gold".[1]
Next release
International Trade in Goods, September 2026: 5 November 2026.[1]
Verified facts
Each fact is labelled with its evidence typeEach fact in this section carries its evidence type — either cross-checked against independent sources, or confirmed from a single authoritative record.
ABS: Australia's seasonally adjusted balance on goods decreased $856 million to a surplus of $495 million in August 2026, from $1,351 million in July (as revised).[1] 1 source · authoritative record
Goods credits (exports) rose $1,707 million (3.7%) to $47,433 million, and goods debits (imports) rose $2,563 million (5.8%) to $46,938 million.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
Non-monetary gold exports rose $1,080 million (20.2%) and coal, coke and briquettes exports $295 million (4.7%); capital goods imports rose $2,410 million (22.3%), including ADP equipment up $1,907 million (79.3%).[1] 1 source · authoritative record
Consumption goods imports fell $954 million (7.0%), driven by non-industrial transport equipment (down $927 million); intermediate and other merchandise goods fell $397 million (2.2%).[1] 1 source · authoritative record
In August 2025 the seasonally adjusted surplus was $872 million, exports $41,120 million and imports $40,248 million.[1][3][4] 1 source · authoritative record
The July 2026 surplus, first published at $1,923 million, is $1,351 million in the August release; exports were revised from $46,261 million to $45,726 million and imports from $44,339 million to $44,375 million.[1][2] 1 source · authoritative record
On a merchandise trade basis, iron ore lump export quantities rose 17.2% in August and unit values fell 4.4%; the trend balance on goods was $1,663 million.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
The headline figures are preliminary balance of payments basis estimates derived from customs data; the next release, for September 2026, is scheduled for 5 November 2026.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
Statements and readings
Not counted as facts — each item shows what kind of statement it isFrom here on: statements not counted as facts — single-source reports, the issuing body’s own statements, and this page’s own readings, each labeled.
The ABS attributes the rise in exports mainly to non-monetary gold and coal, coke and briquettes, and the rise in imports mainly to ADP equipment and non-monetary gold.[1] Stated by the issuing body itself (primary source) · not independently verified · ABS release, 1 October 2026 (the ABS's attribution)
Compared with August 2025, seasonally adjusted exports were $6,313 million (15.4%) higher and imports $6,690 million (16.6%) higher, and the surplus was $377 million smaller.[1][3][4] This page’s own calculation or reading · This page's calculation from the ABS time series
On the published balances, the July surplus was revised down by $572 million ($1,923 million to $1,351 million); exports were revised down by $535 million and imports up by $36 million. The displayed export and import revisions sum to $571 million; the $1 million difference comes from rounding to the nearest million (in the July release, displayed exports minus imports give $1,922 million against a published balance of $1,923 million).[1][2] This page’s own calculation or reading · This page's calculation from the ABS July and August releases
Timeline
What this page could not establish
These are questions this page tried to answer and could not. The gaps are left open rather than filled with a guess.- September 2026 trade in goods
- Model
- claude-opus-5
- Time
- 10/08/2026, 12:00
- Body characters
- 5,893
- Sources
- 4 sources adopted
- Model
- ChatGPT (checked sources on the web)
- Time
- 10/08/2026, 07:17
- Verdict
- Revision required
Show revision history (4)
| 10/09/2026, 09:00 | First authored (claude-opus-5) | Created |
| 10/08/2026 | First version. Read in full the ABS International Trade in Goods releases for August and July 2026 and the August time series spreadsheets (Tables 5 and 6); quotations, table rows and figures machine-matched against the source text. | Updated |
| 10/08/2026 | Pre-publication review findings checked against the sources; confirmed ones applied: component tables are labelled seasonally adjusted except non-monetary gold (both export and import gold rows marked), the July revision note explains the $1 million rounding gap, and Tables 5 and 6 are cited as separate spreadsheet files (both re-downloaded and re-checked). | Updated |
| 10/08/2026 | Independent pre-publication review (ChatGPT) against the sources; findings confirmed by the source text were applied. | Updated |
Frequently asked
What was Australia's trade surplus in August 2026?
$495 million (seasonally adjusted goods balance), down $856 million from July.[1]
Did Australian exports rise in August 2026?
Yes: goods exports rose $1,707 million (3.7%) to $47,433 million, mainly non-monetary gold and coal according to the ABS.[1]
Why did imports rise?
Imports rose $2,563 million (5.8%); the ABS attributes this to ADP equipment (up $1,907 million, 79.3%) and non-monetary gold.[1]
How do August 2026 trade figures compare with a year earlier?
Exports were 15.4% and imports 16.6% higher than in August 2025 (this page's calculation); the surplus was $495 million against $872 million.[1][3][4]
What happened to iron ore and coal exports?
Coal, coke and briquettes exports rose $295 million (4.7%) while metal ores and minerals fell $212 million (1.5%); iron ore lump quantities rose 17.2% but unit values fell 4.4%.[1]
Does this release include trade in services?
No: since the September 2023 reference month the ABS no longer produces international trade in services data monthly.[1]
When is the next trade release?
5 November 2026, for September 2026.[1]
Official links
Sources
- [1] International Trade in Goods, August 2026 (released 1 October 2026) primary
- [2] International Trade in Goods, July 2026 primary
- [3] International Trade in Goods, August 2026 — time series spreadsheet, Table 5 (goods credits, seasonally adjusted, current prices) primary
- [4] International Trade in Goods, August 2026 — time series spreadsheet, Table 6 (goods debits, seasonally adjusted, current prices) primary