Australia posted a seasonally adjusted merchandise trade surplus of A$670 million in May, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday - up 292 percent on month.
The headline figure blew away forecasts for a surplus of A$53 million following the upwardly revised A$171 million surplus in April (originally A$28 million).
Exports were up a seasonally adjusted 4.0 percent on month to A$26.444 billion.
Non-rural goods rose A$682 million (4 percent), while non-monetary gold rose A$135 million (10 percent) and rural goods rose A$58 million (2 percent).
Net exports of goods under merchanting remained steady at A$12m, and services credits rose A$39 million (1 percent).
Imports added 2.0 percent on month to A$25.774 billion.
Consumption goods rose A$357 million (7 percent) and intermediate and other merchandise goods rose A$351 million (4 percent).
Capital goods fell A$290 million (5 percent) and non-monetary gold fell A$15 million (3 percent). Services debits rose A$10 million.
Also on Wednesday:
• Retail sales in Australia were up a seasonally adjusted 0.1 percent on month in May, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said, standing at A$21.825 billion. That missed forecasts for an increase of 0.3 percent following the downwardly revised 0.1 percent contraction in April (originally up 0.2 percent).
By category, sales were up in other retailing (0.8 percent), food retailing (0.2 percent), department stores (0.8 percent) and clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (0.4 percent). Sales were down for cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (-0.6 percent) and household goods retailing (-0.3 percent).
By region, sales gained in Western Australia (1.6 percent), Queensland (0.5 percent), South Australia (0.6 percent), Tasmania (0.6 percent) and the Northern Territory (0.8 percent). Sales were down in New South Wales (-0.4 percent), Victoria (-0.3 percent) and the Australian Capital Territory (-1.7 percent).
On a yearly basis, retail sales were up 2.3 percent.
• Australia's Performance of Service Index from AiG came in with a score of 41.5 in June. That's up from 40.6 in May, although it remains well below the boom-or-bust score of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.
• New home sales in Australia were up 1.6 percent on month in May, according to HIA. That follows the 3.9 percent jump in April.
• Upon the release of the data, the Australian dollar gained against other major currencies, trading near 0.9182 against the greenback, 92.27 against the yen, 1.1806 against the NZ dollar and 1.4140 against the euro.
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