Source: September 05 2008 - Australasian Investment Review – (AIR) Fears are swirling through Asia that the unrest in Thailand and Malaysia, the economic and political woes of Japan and the continuing weakness in South Korea might be a precursor to more serious problems at a time when the Australian economy's sole remaining lifeline is linked firmly into the region. This week's National Account and trade figures showed that the booming resource sector led by miners and exporters of coking and thermal coal and especially iron ore, boosted corporate income and profits to the point where it and the sector's investment plans stopped the economy from dipping into the red in the June quarter. We received a nasty reminder yesterday that our trade performance is not permanent and might be a bit more tenuous than we think. The trade surplus evident in June disappeared in July with the Australian Bureau of Statistics reporting a $717 million deficit as exports stalled and imports, pa