The line graph illustrates the proportion of exports from Australia to Japan, the US, China and India between 1990 and 2012.
Overall, there were decreases in the percentages of Australian exports to Japan and the US, whereas the opposite was true in the cases of China and India. Additionally, China became the dominant destination for Australian goods in the final years.
In 1990, Japan imported significantly more from Australia than any other country listed, accounting for approximately 26% of Australian exports. This figure then declined gradually to a low of around 18% before remaining relatively stable towards the end of the timeframe. A similar downward trend was observed in exports to the US, starting at just over 10% then falling steadily to end the period at about 7%, despite an increase to a high of roughly 13% in 2000.
In contrast, exports to China experienced a substantial rise from only 3% initially to nearly 30% in 2012, overtaking Japan three years prior to become Australia’s largest goods export market. India followed a similar pattern, albeit at a lower rate. It began at the lowest position (at merely 1%), and by 2009 had climbed steadily to reach a peak of close to 10%, followed by a slight drop to about 5% at the end of the period.