Latest News

Australia's resources revenues to drop 10% in fiscal year 2024

Revenues from Australia's resources sector this fiscal year are anticipated to fall 10% from a year ago to A$ 417 billion ($ 272 billion) as product prices drop, although the outlook has actually brightened considering that December, a federal government report stated on Thursday.

Commodity prices are normalising after the onset of the Ukraine war drove up energy rates and Australia's resource sector earnings to a record A$ 466 billion in the 2022/23 financial year, which ranges from July to June.

Significant economies have actually avoided an economic crisis, and the outlook is for an improvement in world economic development in 2025 once monetary policy ends up being less limiting in significant Western economies, Australia's Department of Industry stated in its March quarterly report.

As monetary policy ends up being less restrictive, global production has better potential customers to pick up, which might supply an advantage to commodity need, the report said.

Profits are expected to fall even more over the next five years to around A$ 300 billion as costs for bulk commodities like iron ore and coal retreat. The energy shift and firm development in China and India will preserve demand for Australia's minerals over that timeframe, it stated.

Iron ore remains Australia's top resources export, anticipated to earn A$ 136 billion in 2023/24, up from A$ 124 billion in 2022/23 before reducing to A$ 75 billion in the 2028/29 period, the report stated.

Australia is still set to earn nearly double from both thermal coal and steel-making coal sales than from energy shift metals like lithium, copper and nickel by the end of the years, even as coal incomes come by 40%.

For steel-making coal, profits are seen at A$ 56 billion in 2023/24, before pulling away to A$ 35 billion in 2028/29. For thermal coal, profits are anticipated at A$ 36 billion in 2023/24, being up to A$ 21 billion by 2028/29.

On the other hand, integrated profits from lithium, copper and nickel are expected edge up from around A$ 26.6 billion this fiscal year to around A$ 30 billion by 2028/29, led by gains in copper.

Australia modified up the prices of some products for the present fiscal year compared to its December forecast, raising iron ore to $103 a metric tonne from $99 and gold to $1,995 an ounce from $1,933.

It revised anticipated lithium prices down by 29% to $1,800 a. ton from $2,535 in its December projection, with prices expected. to fall further to $1,300 in five years' time.

(source: Reuters)