Export prices in Australia climbed 4.2 percent in the third quarter of 2013 compared to the previous three months, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday.
That beat forecasts for an increase of 3.3 percent following the 0.3 percent decline in the second quarter.
Among the individual components, food was up 5.8 percent on quarter, followed by beverages and tobacco (1.8 percent), crude materials (4.9 percent), mineral fuels (3.9 percent), animal and vegetable oils (1.5 percent), chemicals (1.7 percent), manufactured goods (3.6 percent), machinery (2.4 percent), miscellaneous (6.1 percent) and commodities (2.2 percent).
On a yearly basis, export prices also rose 4.2 percent.
Among the individual components, food prices were up 8.0 percent on year, along with beverages and tobacco (3.3 percent), crude materials (13.2 percent), mineral fuels (-6.8 percent), animal and vegetable oils (8.2 percent), chemicals (1.8 percent), manufactured goods (6.8 percent), machinery (6.9 percent), miscellaneous (6.7 percent) and commodities (-7.4 percent).
Import prices climbed 6.1 percent on quarter in Q3 versus forecasts for an increase of 3.5 percent following the 0.3 percent contraction in Q2.
Among the individual components, food was up 8.7 percent on quarter, followed by beverages and tobacco (3.0 percent), crude materials (7.6 percent), mineral fuels (8.0 percent), animal and vegetable oils (6.1 percent), chemicals (2.3 percent), manufactured goods (6.4 percent), machinery (5.4 percent), miscellaneous (8.6 percent) and commodities (2.0 percent).
On a yearly basis, import prices also were up 6.1 percent.
Among the individual components, food prices were up 11.5 percent on year, along with beverages and tobacco (5.9 percent), crude materials (7.0 percent), mineral fuels (9.1 percent), animal and vegetable oils (12.0 percent), chemicals (1.4 percent), manufactured goods (6.3 percent), machinery (5.0 percent), miscellaneous (11.4 percent) and commodities (-8.2 percent).
Also on Thursday:
. The ABS said that the total number of building approvals in Australia jumped a seasonally adjusted 14.4 percent in September compared to the previous month, standing at 16,318.
That shattered forecasts for a gain of 2.8 percent following the upwardly revised 1.6 percent decline in August (originally -4.7 percent).
On a yearly basis, approvals spiked 18.6 percent - also blowing past forecasts for a gain of 1.2 percent following the upwardly revised11.1 percent jump in the previous month (originally 7.7 percent).
The seasonally adjusted estimate for private sector houses added 1.5 percent in September following a fall of 1.2 percent in August. Private sector dwellings excluding houses surged 31.8 percent.
The seasonally adjusted estimate of the value of total building approved jumped 3.4 percent in September and has risen for three straight months.
The value of residential building spiked 10.1 percent and has risen for four straight months. The value of non-residential building fell 6.0 percent after rising for two months.
. The Reserve Bank of Australia said that total credit provided to the private sector in Australia was up 0.3 percent in September compared to the previous month. That was unchanged from the previous month but below forecasts for an increase of 0.4 percent.
On a yearly basis, private sector credit climbed 3.3 percent - shy of expectations for 3.4 percent, which would have been unchanged from the August reading.
Housing credit was up 0.4 percent on month and 4.8 percent on year, while other personal credit added 0.3 percent on month and 1.0 percent on year.
Business credit eased 0.1 percent in September after adding 0.1 percent over August. On year, business credit rose by 1.1 percent.
M3 increased 0.6 percent on month and broad money also gained 0.6 percent. On year, broad money jumped 5.2 per cent.
