The line graph illustrates the proportion of Australian exports sent to four nations from 1990 to 2012.
Overall, while Japan was initially the main destination for Australian goods, China experienced dramatic growth to become the leading trade partner by the end of the period. Additionally, exports to the US and India remained at lower levels throughout.
Regarding the exports to Japan, they stood at 25% in 1990 before declining slightly to 20% and seeing a slow but steady reduction, reaching a low of about 16% in 2012. As for exports to the Chinese market, they made up 3% in 1990 followed by a slow rise to 5% after 10 years. However, after 2005, this figure surged significantly and accounted for about 27% in the final year.
In contrast, Australian goods that are exported to the US constituted about 11% in 1990 and this percentage decreased over time to almost 6% in 2012. Similarly, the figures for India were 3% in the first year and saw a gradual increase to about 7 % in 2010, before dipping to 5% by the end of the timeframe.
