Australia's import of passenger motor vehicles is back to its historical level

Data: International Trade in Goods and Services, Australia

You can access data here: Link

According to the ABS: “Merchandise trade statistics on an international merchandise trade basis are compiled from information submitted by exporters and importers or their agents to the Department of Home Affairs (Home Affairs). Adjustments for coverage, timing and valuation are made to international merchandise trade data to convert them to a balance of payments basis. The services data are sourced from the quarterly Survey of International Trade in Services and a range of administrative data and indicator series.”

The Trend

The plot shows the decline and recovery in the impart of passenger cars. As the figure shows, following the national restrictions in March and April 2020, there was a significant decline in the trend until it recovered later in September.

To bring the magnitude of this decline into perspective, here, I have plotted the long-term trend of imports.