Australia's goods trade surplus widened to $3.4 billion in December 2025, fueled by a resurgence in commodity exports and a dip in national imports.
Data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics confirmed the balance rose from a revised $2.6 billion in November 2025, signaling a resilient end to the year for the nation’s resource sector.
The primary catalyst for the growth was a 1% rise in goods exports, spearheaded by a 3% jump in metal ores and minerals.
The rebound follows a double-digit slump in November 2025, with port data indicating that iron ore volumes have remained fundamentally steady.
Conversely, goods imports fell by 0.8%, largely due to decreased spending on capital and intermediate goods.
A standout performer was gold, which saw a 16.2% quarterly surge, positioning the precious metal to potentially overtake coal as a leading export in the March quarter if prices hold.
The recent appreciation of the Australian dollar could dampen export receipts, creating an "uncertain" net impact.
While the data suggests a slight downside risk to December 2025 quarter GDP growth forecasts of 2.5%, experts believe a rise in business inventories could offset any potential drag from net exports.