South Australia’s overseas goods exports totalled $11.5 billion, up 0.7 per cent in the year to May 2016, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The latest figures show South Australia again performed better than the national average, where total exports fell 4.2 per cent in the same period.

Minister for Investment and Trade Martin Hamilton-Smith said the figures show that strong demand continues for our local products.

Key results for the year to May 2016 compared with the year to May 2015 include:

• wine – up $136 million or 11 per cent; 
• vegetables and fruit – up $80 million or 17 per cent; 
• lead – up $53 million or 12 per cent;
•  ‘other’, including bulk barley – up $221 million or per cent and;
• copper – up $272 million or 26 per cent.

Background

The total value of South Australian exports continues to be supported by growth in the value of exports including copper, ‘other/ confidential’ (which includes bulk barley), wine, vegetables and fruit and lead. These gains were partly offset by declines in the value of exports including for metal ores and metal scrap, road vehicles, parts and accessories, coal and gas and gold, silver and platinum.

Excluding minerals, petroleum and grains, South Australian exports in the year to May 2016 were up by 3.5 per cent. Export growth in the year to May 2016 was recorded in the export markets of Canada, Total EU and US.

Quotes attributable to Minister Hamilton-Smith

More than 65,000 South Australian jobs are supported by exports and the State Government is committed to seeing this number grow. Continuing growth in trade and exports will lead to a strong economy and job creation.

Several recent sets of official data and economic analysis show that the State Government’s export strategy is having an impact. In the targeted areas of goods and services, South Australia’s overseas export performance has shown a welcome improvement over the past year and today’s figures add to that trend.

These figures follow the latest economic briefing report by the South Australian Centre for Economic Studies which shows that prices for the state’s overseas exports of goods and services in the March 2016 quarter were 10 per cent lower compared to a year earlier in trend terms. The state’s strong performance in areas that we can influence is helping offset the global impact of a reduction in iron ore exports to China.