Recent Trends in Australia-Japan-China Trade Relations: A Comprehensive Statistical Analysis

The rapid development of Japan’s relations with Australia in the post-war era was based on mutually complementary trade and business links. Since then the relationship has expanded to economic activities, politics, education, direct investment and various other fields. As trusted business partners in the Asia-Pacific region, Japan and Australia share a common interest in re-gional business and trade stability and prosperity. Trade between Japan and Australia increased rapidly during the 1970s, but remained stable throughout most of the 1980s. However from 1988 on, the level of trade rose rapidly again due to increased imports of Australian goods into Japan. Australia is Japan’s tenth-ranked export destination and shares 2.4 % of Japan’s total ex-ports. It ranks third among the Japan’s total imports with a share of 4.6%. In 1998 Japan’s ex-ports to Australia exceeding US $ 8,019 million. Principal export items include transportation equipment (automobiles, etc.), general machinery (office equipment, etc.) electrical machinery, rubber products (tires, etc), chemical, precision machinery, iron and steel, and textile products. On the other hand, in 1998, Japan imported US $ 13,000 worth of goods from Australia. This includes coal, iron ore, natural gas, beef, gold, wood chips, aluminum ingots, alumina, petro