Australia continues to export more manufactures despite the
impact of the Asian economic crisis. According to the Department
of Foreign Affairs and Trade manufactures now contribute 30 per
cent to Australia's exports of all merchandise, up from only
21 per cent a decade ago.
The details are set out in the 1997-98 edition of the Department's
publication Exports of Primary and Manufactured Products, Australia,
released today.
However, primary products remain the mainstay of Australia's
export base. In 1997-98 the value of Australian produce exports
showed a 9 per cent increase to almost $50.1 billion, representing
60 per cent of total exports, well down on the 70 per cent of
a decade ago.
The new publication provides a comprehensive analysis of Australia's
merchandise exports based on DFAT's own Trade Exports Classification
(TREC) which focuses on the level of processing applied to Australian
produce exports. Broad TREC commodity information on trade with
Australia's major trading partners and regional groupings is
also available for both imports and exports.
A special feature is an article on the impact of the East
Asian economic crisis on Australia's merchandise trade by major
TREC category to the end of January 1999.
Copies of Exports of Primary and Manufactured Products, Australia,
can be purchased, for $40, by contacting the Market Information
and Analysis Unit on:
phone (02) 6261 3114 or
fax (02) 62613321.
The analysis and summary tables from Exports of Primary and
Manufactured Products will be placed on the Departmental website
at http://www.dfat.aov.au/publications/statistics.html
Orders for the publication can also be placed at this site.
The latest available information on the East Asian economic
crisis is also available from the DFAT website at http://www.dfat.jzov.au/hot/east
asia/index.html
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