Australia's trade surplus narrows amid gold export decline

  • Australia's trade surplus shrank in April, falling to $5.41 billion, according to trade balance data the Australian Bureau of Statistics released on Thursday — a sharp drop from the $6.9 billion figure recorded in March and below the $6 billion analysts had expected. The nearly $1.5 billion monthly decline highlights the ongoing volatility in Australia's international trade, driven by a 2.4% drop in exports, particularly non-monetary gold, and a rise in capital goods imports.