Definitions and Sources Exchange Rates

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) calculates and publishes the Trade Weighted Index (TWI). The RBA annually recalculates the weights of the TWI based on the composition of Australia’s merchandise goods and services trade for the previous fiscal year. Currencies that are removed from the TWI will no longer have their exchange rate data published in our statistical tables. These data should not be relied upon for any regulatory or commercial purposes.

Since 1 July 2008, the rate shown for the US dollar is the WM/Reuters Australian Dollar Fix at 4.00 pm (Sydney) on the day concerned, sourced from page AUDFIX on Thomson Reuters and rounded to four decimals. Prior to that (or if the WM/Reuters Australian Dollar Fix rate at 4.00 pm Sydney is unavailable, denoted by an *), the rate shown for the US dollar is the Reserve Bank's observation of mid-points of buying and selling rates quoted at 4.00 pm (Sydney) on the day concerned. Rates shown for most other currencies are calculated by crossing the rate for the US dollar with the Reserve Bank's observations of mid-points of buying and selling rates quoted around the same time. These rates are indications of market value only and may differ from those quoted by foreign exchange dealers and other market sources.

The trade-weighted index is calculated on the basis of the rates for the US dollar and other currencies. Details of the method of calculation of the trade-weighted index are set out in the Bulletin for October 2002 and current weights are on the Bank's website.

The value of the Special Drawing Right is calculated by the International Monetary Fund on the basis of a weighted basket of five currencies – US dollar, European euro, Chinese renminbi, Japanese yen and UK pound. The Fund publishes the value of the SDR each day in terms of US dollars; the latest available rate is crossed with the 4.00 pm A$/US$ rate.