In March 2003, banks and selected Registered Financial Corporations (RFCs)
began reporting their international assets, liabilities and country exposures
to APR in ARF/RRF 231 International Exposures. This return is the basis of
the data provided by Australia to the Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
for its International Banking Statistics (IBS) data collection. APR ceased
the RFC data collection after September 2010.
The IBS data are based on the methodology described in the BIS Guide on
International Financial Statistics
[PDF] (see Part II
International banking statistics). Data reported for Australia, and other
countries, on the BIS website are expressed in United States dollars.
Data are recorded on an end-quarter basis.
All banks operating in Australia complete ARF 231. Between March 2003 and
September 2010, only those larger RFCs with sizeable overseas assets and/or
liabilities completed RRF 231. Bank and RFC positions are reported in
Australian dollars (AUD). Non-AUD denominated positions have been converted to
AUD using an appropriate end-quarter exchange rate, so changes in reported
data between quarters are due not only to changes in positions but also
valuation gains or losses due to exchange rate changes.
There are two sets of IBS data: locational data, which are used to gauge the
role of banks and financial centres in the intermediation of international
capital flows; and consolidated data, which can be used to monitor the
country risk exposure of national banking systems. Only locational data are
reported in this statistical table.
All assets are reported at market value. While some liabilities are reported
at market value, contractual or nominal values are used where market values
are not appropriate.
The locational data reported in this statistical table are on international
assets and liabilities, comprise loans and deposits, securities and other
assets and liabilities vis- -vis non-residents in all currencies and vis-A
-vis residents in foreign currency. The main balance sheet items included as
claims (i.e. assets) are deposits and balances placed with banks, loans and
advances to banks and non-banks and holdings of securities. The main
liabilities include deposits and loans received from banks and non-banks.
Reporting entitiesa own issues of securities in international markets are also
included as liabilities. (See notes to statistical tables B12.1 and B12.2 for
more detail on the types of assets and liabilities included.)
aTotal banks and RFCsa is also reported in United States dollar (USD)
equivalent amounts, using the end-quarter AUD/USD exchange rate from
statistical table F11.