Australia's export prices rose 1.1% in the June quarter following a 0.5% increase in the March quarter, while growth in import prices accelerated to 5.7% from 0.1%, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed Thursday.
The main contributors to the export price index rise include coal, coke, and briquettes, up 5.4%, a nearly 21% increase in crude fertilizers, and a 22.7% gain in petroleum and related products driven by continued tensions in the Middle East.
A decline of 8.8% in non-monetary gold and a 1.4% fall in metalliferous ores and metal scrap provided some offset to export price growth, the data showed.
Meanwhile, a more than 47% jump in petroleum and related products was the biggest contributor to import price gains as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz restricted global oil supply. Import prices for fertilizers excluding crude surged over 25%, driven by higher urea prices.
Export prices rose 3.9% in the year-to-date through June, and import prices increased 6.2%.