Australia's trade surplus widened 22$ to AUD 0.99 billion in August of 2017 from an upwardly revised AUD 0.81 billion in July and above market estimates of AUD 0.88 billion.
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It was the largest trade surplus since May, as exports went up 1$ from a month earlier to AUD 32.23 billion while imports were flat at AUD 31.24 billion.
Exports of non-rural goods (bulk commodities and non-bulk commodities) rose 2$ to AUD 19. billion, mainly due to metal ores and minerals (10$).
Partly offsetting this rise was metals, excluding non-monetary gold (-12$) and coal, coke and briquettes (-3$).
Non-monetary gold (gold which is not owned by monetary authorities and can be in the form of bullion, including coins, ingots or bar with a purity at least 995 parts per thousand) dropped by 19$ to AUD 1.28 billion.
Meantime, net exports of goods under merchanting were steady at AUD 47 million.
Exports of rural goods went down 1$ to AUD 4.16 billion, driven by other rural (-1$) and wool and sheepskins (-4$).
Exports of services rose 1$ to AUD 7.36 billionm due to travel (2$).
Imports of goods and services were flat at AUD 31.24 billion.
Purchases of consumption goods decreased by 4.0$ to AUD 7.96 billion.
The main components contributing to the fall were: food and beverages mainly for consumption (-8$); household electrical items (-4$); non-industrial transport equipment (-6$); consumption goods n.e.s (-2$); textile, clothing; footwear (-3$), and toys, books and leisure goods (-5.$).
Purchases of capital goods declined 3$ to AUD 6.12 billion, mainly due to a fall civil aircraft and confidentialised items (-9$); ADP equipment (-4$); telecomunicatins equipment (-7$); industrial transport equipment (-4$), and capital goods n.e.s (-6$).
Partly offsetting these falls was machinery and industrial equipment (6$).
Imports of intermediate and other merchandise goods increased 4$ to AUD 9.37 billion.
The main component contributing to the rise was processed industrial supplies n.e.s (3$); primary industrial supplies n.e.s (10$); fuels and lubricants (11$); food and beverages, mainly for industry (3$); other parts for capital goods (3$), and other merchandise goods (635$).
Partly offsetting this increase were parts for ADP equipment (-2$); organic and inorganic chemicals (-19$); paper and paperboard (-5$), and textile yam and fabrics (-2$).
Imports of non-monetary gold fell by 2$ to AUD 450 million.
Imports of services rose 1$ to AUD 7.35 billion. The main component contributing to the increase were maintenance and repair services n.i.e.(41$) and travel (1$).
Considering January to August 2017, trade surplus came in at AUD 12.03 billion. ■