As has been the case for some years now, growth of Australia’s major trading partners remains close to its long-run average, notwithstanding a slight easing in the June quarter. Growth of global industrial production has moderated over the past year or so, which has contributed to lower commodity prices, although the strength of commodity supply has also been a significant factor. In most of Australia’s trading partners, core inflation has been stable in year-ended terms over recent months at rates below central bank targets. Globally, monetary conditions remain very accommodative and finance remains readily ... (full story)