Australia's trade deficit widened by 8 percent to 2.64 billion AU dollars (2.77 billion U.S. dollars) in November 2012, data released on Tuesday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showed.
The result was more than economists' forecasts of a 2.3 billion AU dollar deficit.
The ABS said Tuesday the balance on goods and services was a deficit of 2.64 billion AU dollars in November 2012, a rise of 194 million AU dollars on the deficit in the previous month.
Exports of goods and services rose 1 percent in November while imports of goods and services rose 2 percent, compared to the figures in October.
Investment bank JP Morgan economist Ben Jarman said Australia' s trade deficit has reached its highest level since March 2008.
The country's trade deficit has grown from 242 million AU dollars in February 2012 to 2.64 billion AU dollars in November.
The Australian dollar dropped slightly after the data release.
