Australia Import Prices Fell 1.1% in Q3 While Export Prices Rose 1.4%

Australia's quarterly trade price data for Q3 2026 showed a sharp divergence between import and export prices. Import prices fell 1.1% quarter-on-quarter, a dramatic reversal from the 5.7% rise recorded in the prior quarter and well below the 1.3% increase that had been forecast. Export prices moved in the opposite direction, rising 1.4% for the quarter, a modest acceleration from the 1.1% gain seen previously.

The steep drop in import prices eases cost pressures on Australian businesses and consumers who rely on overseas goods, and reduces one channel through which inflation can be imported into the domestic economy. The simultaneous uptick in export prices provides some support for Australian exporters and the country's terms of trade. Both readings will feed into the Reserve Bank of Australia's assessment of inflation and external sector dynamics ahead of its next policy deliberations.