Australia’s balance of trade came in at 2.826 for the reference period of September 2026, the data showed. The reading was above the market forecast of 0.81. It was also higher than the previous period, which stood at 0.184. The figure was released at 00:30 GMT on 5 November 2026.
What the figure measures
The balance of trade is the difference between the value of goods and services a country exports and the value it imports over the same period. A positive reading means exports exceeded imports, so the country sold more abroad than it bought. A reading closer to zero or below zero means the gap between the two narrowed or reversed.
Against the forecast, the reported value was well above expectations. Compared with the previous period, the balance also widened, rising from 0.184 to 2.826.
Context from the release
The release gives no breakdown of which exports or imports drove the change, and it does not state a cause. The comparison with the forecast and with the previous period is the full extent of the information available in the data.
