16/08/2026
Question: The three charts below show the value in Australian dollars of Australian trade with three different countries from 2004 to 2009.
Sample answer: The three line charts compare the value of Australiaâs imports from and exports to China, Japan and the United States between 2004 and 2009, measured in billions of Australian dollars
Overall, Australiaâs trade with China rose sharply over the period, with exports growing faster than imports. By contrast, trade with Japan fluctuated, while commerce with the United States remained relatively stable and consistently showed a trade deficit for Australia.
In terms of trade with China, both imports and exports increased steadily. Imports rose from about A$20 billion in 2004 to just over A$30 billion in 2009. Exports grew more rapidly, almost tripling from roughly A$12 billion to around A$35 billion, overtaking imports by the end of the period.
Trade with Japan followed a different pattern. Australian imports from Japan remained fairly stable, fluctuating slightly around A$20â23 billion. Exports, however, climbed from just over A$20 billion in 2004 to a peak of approximately A$40 billion in 2008, before falling back to around A$32 billion in 2009.
By comparison, Australiaâs trade with the United States showed minimal change. Imports stayed within the A$20â25 billion range throughout, while exports were much lower, rising modestly from about A$9 billion to a high of roughly A$14 billion in 2008, before declining slightly in the final year.
