Australia Trade Surplus Doubles to A$5.69bn

Australia's seasonally adjusted trade balance surged to A$5.69 billion in February, more than double the January surplus and ahead of forecasts.
Exports rose 4.9% month‑on‑month, driven by a near‑30% jump in non‑monetary gold shipments, reversing January's 1.6% decline.
Imports fell 3.2% in February, led by lower non‑monetary gold and a drop in capital goods imports.
Despite higher surplus, iron ore, coal and LNG export volumes slipped, indicating weaker demand and potential March impact from Middle East conflict.