The line chart illustrates the proportion of Australian exports to four countries: Japan, the United States, China, and India between 1990 and 2012.
Overall, the data reveal a significant downward trend for Japan and the United States, while the opposite was true for China and India. Notably, China overtook Japan in the final years to become the leading destination for Australian exports.
In 1990, Japan accounted for the largest share of Australian exports, at 25%. This figure declined steadily to 18% by 1995 and remained relatively stable thereafter, finishing just under 20% in 2012. Similarly, exports to the United States stood at approximately 12% in 1990, before dropping sharply to 7% in 1995. Although there was a temporary recovery to 13% in 2002, the percentage gradually fell to around 5% by the end of the period.
In contrast, exports to China rose dramatically, from just 3% initially to nearly 30% in 2012, surpassing Japan around 2009. This sharp increase made China the largest export market for Australia. A similar but less pronounced pattern was observed for India, where the proportion started at 3%, the lowest among the four countries. Over the next decade, it increased gradually to approximately 8% in 2009, before declining slightly to 5% by 2012.