http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-business/coal-sales-soar-to-...

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-business/coal-sales-soar-to-asia-eu-americas-20090903-f9ba.html

Coal sales soar to Asia, EU, Americas

Coal might well be blamed for doing in the planet's atmosphere but there's no stopping the world's appetite for it.

Sales of Australian Coal are soaring, with exports to East Asia up 131.3 per cent in just one year, to the European Union up 104.3 per cent and to the Americas up 96.7 per cent, new studies reveal.

Analyses of Australian trade for 2008, prepared by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), show these three regions account for 80 per cent of Australia's total trade with the world.

As well as soaring coal sales, Australia is selling more cars and oil but less beef to the Americas, while sales of Australian wine to Europe have slumped.

The nations of East Asia remain Australia's top trading partners, buying $155.5 billion worth of goods and services (up 36.5 per cent) while Australia bought $132.1 billion (up 20.4 per cent) of their products and services in turn.

Exports to the EU rose 16.7 per cent to $32.6 billion while EU imports to Australia increased 14.2 per cent to $58.7 billion.

Similarly, exports to the Americas, principally the US, Canada and Mexico, rose 16.1 per cent to $25.1 billion while imports to Australia rose by virtually the same amount (16 per cent) to $45.3 billion.

Coal remains the big Australian seller, with exports worth $30.1 billion to East Asia (up 131.3 per cent), to the EU worth $6.2 billion (up 104.3 per cent) and to the Americas at $1.7 billion, (up 96.7) per cent.

Iron ore sales to East Asia rose 86.6 per cent to $29.8 billion while crude petroleum sales rose 20.3 per cent to $8.2 billion. Export of Australian manufactured goods to East Asia rose 2.2 per cent to $20 billion.

Japan remains Australia's single biggest export market, worth $53 billion in 2008 (up 52.9 per cent), followed by China ($37.2 billion - up 34.3 per cent), Republic of Korea ($20.3 billion - up 32.5 per cent) and Singapore ($10.1 billion - up 39.4 per cent).

The EU buys plenty of Australian gold ($4.8 billion - up 75.8 per cent) but not so much wine ($1.2 billion - down 16.7 per cent).

The United Kingdom remains Australia's largest EU export market worth $14.1 billion (up 20.1 per cent).

The Americas are buying more Australian crude petroleum ($1.3 billion - up a massive 469.1 per cent) and passenger cars ($1.1 billion up an even more massive 579.3 per cent) but less beef $1.2 billion - down 4.6 per cent.

The US remains Australia's biggest export market in the Americas, taking $18.3 billion worth of goods and services (up 15.1 per cent) but overall exports to Canada are down eight per cent to $2.3 billion).