Australia demonstrated its capacity to escape the global downturn yesterday, reporting its largest monthly trade surplus in more than a decade and its second largest ever, with the help of a surge in mining exports.Exports rose 6 per cent to A$24.6bn ($19bn, €14bn, £11bn) in August, with coal exports rising 26 per cent, iron ore 5 per cent and rural goods 4 per cent.An upbeat Tom Albanese, chief executive of mining group Rio Tinto, said yesterday: "Constrained supply conditions and firm demand from China and other developing countries should establish the basis for higher than average [exchange-traded commodity] prices through 2009."Peter Smith, Sydney
