The line graphs illustrate the changes in Australia’s import and export values with three different countries from 2004 to 2009, all amounts are given in Australian dollars (A$).
In summary, while Australia’s trade with China and Japan grew over the years, trade figures with the United States remained fairly stable throughout this timeframe.
For imports, the total value was comparable across the three countries in 2004, with each averaging around 20 billion dollars. However, over the next five years, imports from China rose considerably to nearly 30 billion dollars, reaching their peak. In contrast, imports from Japan and the US saw modest increases, staying around 22 billion dollars in 2008 before ultimately returning to the original 20 billion dollars at the start of this period.
Regarding exports, Australia’s earnings from Japan were about 20 billion dollars, nearly double those from China and the US, each of which was approximately 10 billion dollars. Between 2005 and 2008, export values to China and Japan rose in tandem, soaring to nearly 30 billion and 40 billion dollars, respectively. By the end of the period, exports to China continued to grow, reaching about 35 billion dollars, while Japan peaked at 40 billion dollars in 2008 before declining to just 30 billion dollars. In contrast, the US saw a slight increase to almost 12 billion dollars, followed by a minor decrease to 10 billion dollars, which was the lowest export value among the three countries analyzed and the only nation where exports consistently fell below imports.