| MEDIA RELEASE
DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS |
D46
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has today released the
1997 edition of its publication Composition of Trade, Australia which
provides a comprehensive analysis of the growth, direction and
commodity breakdown of Australia's merchandise trade in recent years.
Individual reports show the detailed composition of trade with all
major partners over the past five years.
Highlights of trade in 1997 include an 8 per cent increase in the
value of Australia's merchandise trade to $168.2 billion, with
exports increasing by 10 per cent to $84.8 billion and imports
increasing by 6 per cent to $83.4 billion. Australia recorded a
merchandise trade surplus of $1.3 billion in 1997, a turnaround from
a deficit of $1.4 billion in 1996.
The 1997 edition also contains articles on the causes of the
economic crisis in East Asia and its impact on Australia's
merchandise trade to the end of February 1998.
Copies of this publication can be purchased for $40 each by
contacting DFAT'S Market Information and Analysis Unit on:
phone: (02) 6261 3114
fax: (02) 62613321.
Orders can also be placed via the Department's website at /bookshelf
The analysis and summary tables from Composition of Trade, along
with the latest available information on the East Asian economic
crisis, are also available from the Department's
website
Media inquiries: Tony Melville/Julie McDonald 02 6261 1555 or 0418
623 327