Australian exports expands at fastest pace since 2007

Australia’s economy expanded in 2012 at the fastest pace in five years as resource investment and exports outweighed subdued manufacturing and construction.

Gross domestic product grew 3.6 percent last year, the best performance since a 4.7 percent expansion in 2007, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics compiled by Bloomberg showed. The economy grew 0.6 percent in the fourth quarter from the previous three months, when it rose a revised 0.7 percent that was higher than initially reported, today’s report showed.

Stocks and the currency rose as stronger exports validated Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Glenn Stevens’s decision to leave interest rates unchanged yesterday as the nation extends 21 recession-free years. Policy makers cut rates by 1.75 percentage points in the 14 months through December to rebalance an economy where mining regions in the north and west thrive while builders and manufacturers in the south and east struggle, dragged by the strength of the nation’s currency.

“The broad picture is one of an economy in better shape than many commentators give credit,” said Michael Blythe, chief economist in Sydney at Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), the nation’s biggest lender. “Despite all the economic dramas and general pessimism, the growth outcome actually beat the consensus forecast.”

The nation’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 Index climbed 1 percent today and the local dollar traded at $1.0293 at 2:10 p.m. in Sydney from $1.0264 before the release, extending its longest stretch above parity with the U. S. dollar. The three-year government bond yield held gains, rising 8 basis points to 2.85 percent.

Exports increased 3.3 percent in the fourth quarter, adding 0.7 per- centage point to GDP growth, today’s report showed. Household spending advanced 0.2 percent last quarter, adding 0.1 point to the expansion, it showed. Public spending soared 24.6 percent, adding 1.1 points, reflecting the transfer of an unidentified asset from private industry to state government.

The result wasn’t as good as it appears because the purchase of the second-hand asset that boosted public consumption is “not actually adding to new economic growth, it’s just a transfer,” said Joshua Williamson, a senior economist at Citigroup Inc. in Sydney.

“The headline GDP met expectations, but the details of the report showed little of the rebalancing the RBA wants towards domestic demand that remains below trend,” he said. “The increase in government consumption is basically equal to the decrease in dollar terms of private non-dwelling construction.”

Non-dwelling construction slumped 8.9 percent, subtracting 0.8 percentage point from GDP growth. Machinery and equipment fell 3.3 percent, subtracting 0.2 point, the data showed.

The nation’s household savings ratio declined to 10.1 percent in the three months through December from 10.3 percent in the third quarter, today’s report showed.