Australia’s goods imports declined by 3.3% month-over-month to AUD 45.61 billion in September 2026, reversing a sharply upwardly revised 6.2% increase in August. The fall was broad-based and driven mainly by weaker demand for capital and consumption goods.
Capital goods imports fell 2.5% to AUD 12.89 billion, weighed down by a steep drop in civil aircraft and confidentialised items (-33.7%), as well as lower imports of machinery and industrial equipment (-3.7%) and telecommunications equipment (-1.4%).
Consumption goods imports also declined, falling 2.2% to AUD 12.54 billion. This reflected reduced purchases of non-industrial transport equipment (-4.0%), food and beverages (-3.6%), and other consumption goods n.e.s. (-0.4%).
Imports of non-monetary gold recorded an even sharper contraction, plunging 34.7% to AUD 2.06 billion.
By contrast, imports of intermediate and other merchandise goods inched up 0.9% to AUD 18.12 billion, supported by higher inflows of fuels and lubricants (2.3%), parts for transport equipment (2.3%), and processed industrial supplies n.e.s. (0.8%).
