The line graph details the figures for Australian exports to four countries between 1990 and 2012.
Overall, what stands out from the graph is that Japan was the country with the highest proportion of exports at the beginning of the period. This top position was challenged by China, whose figure experienced the most dramatic upswing towards the end.
In 1990, Japan topped the list of Australian exports with roughly 26%, far outstripping the figure for the US, at just around 11%. This was followed by China with virtually 3% and India, who imported almost nothing from Australia in this year. Over the time frame, the share of exports to Japan declined steadily to 17% in 2010 and thereafter plateaued until 2012. Meanwhile, there was a boost of 24% in the figure for China, amounting to 27% in 2012.
Regarding the US export figure, it fluctuated over the years in a downward trend, reaching a low of 7% at the end of the period. The rate of exports to India, conversely, remained relatively stable for the first 10 years before rising up to peak at 7% in 2010 and then falling slightly to 5% in 2012.