Overseas Merchandise Trade 18 September

Overseas merchandise trade statistics provide information on imports and exports of merchandise goods between New Zealand and other countries.

Key facts

This release refers to trade in goods only.

In August 2026, compared with August 2025:

• goods exports rose by $888 million (15 percent), to $6.7 billion
• goods imports rose by $924 million (13 percent), to $8.0 billion
• the monthly trade balance was a deficit of $1.3 billion.

Text alternative for Goods exports and imports, August 2026 month compared with August 2025 month.

Exports

Goods exports rose by $888 million (15 percent) in August 2026 (to $6.7 billion), compared with August 2025.

Milk powder, butter, and cheese rose $84 million (7.6 percent), to $1.2 billion.

Aluminium exports rose $80 million (58 percent), to $219 million.

Top monthly export movements by country

The monthly movements in August 2026, compared with August 2025, for our top export partners (in order of total annual goods exports) were:

• China: total exports were up $191 million (16 percent).
  • The largest rises were logs, wood, and wood articles, up $40 million; milk powder, butter, and cheese, up $37 million; and fruit, up $32 million.
  • There were no significant falls over $10 million.
• Australia: total exports were up $278 million (34 percent).
  • The largest rises were crude oil, up $78 million; precious metals, jewellery, and coins, up $76 million; and mechanical machinery and equipment, up $23 million.
  • There were no significant falls over $10 million.
• USA: total exports were down $52 million (6.6 percent).
  • The largest rises were meat and edible offal, up $32 million; electrical machinery and equipment, up $21 million; and fruit, up $18 million.
  • The largest falls were casein and caseinates, down $43 million; milk powder, butter, and cheese, down $31 million; and fish, crustaceans, and molluscs, down $14 million.
• EU: total exports were up $35 million (5.7 percent).
  • The largest rises were aluminium and aluminium articles, up $27 million; and casein and caseinates, up $17 million.
  • The largest falls were fruit, down $12 million; milk powder, butter, and cheese, down $12 million; and pharmaceutical products, down $11 million.
• Japan: total exports were up $127 million (40 percent).
  • The largest rises were fruit, up $40 million; optical, medical, and measuring equipment, up $31 million; and aluminium and aluminium articles, up $25 million.
  • There were no significant falls over $10 million.

Imports

Goods imports rose by $924 million (13 percent) in August 2026 (to $8.0 billion), compared with August 2025.

Mechanical machinery and equipment rose $151 million (15 percent), to $1.2 billion.

• Computers rose $127 million (100 percent), to $254 million.
• Self-propelled bulldozers, graders, and excavators rose $19 million (66 percent), to $47 million.

Electrical machinery and equipment rose $166 million (25 percent), to $821 million.

• Telephones and cellphones rose $65 million (39 percent), to $234 million.
• Electric accumulators rose $50 million (192 percent), to $76 million.

Top monthly import movements by country

The monthly movements in August 2026, compared with August 2025, for our top import partners (in order of total annual goods imports) were:

• China: total imports were up $449 million (29 percent).
  • The largest rises were electrical machinery and equipment, up $178 million; vehicles, parts, and accessories, up $177 million; and iron and steel, and articles, up $32 million.
  • The largest fall was fertilisers, down $100 million.
• EU: total imports were up $158 million (17 percent).
  • The largest rises were mechanical machinery and equipment, up $68 million; vehicles, parts, and accessories, up $28 million; and pharmaceutical products, up $19 million.
  • The largest fall was aircraft and parts, down $25 million.
• Australia: total imports were up $50 million (6.5 percent).
  • The largest rises were electrical machinery and equipment, up $14 million; vehicles, parts, and accessories, up $12 million; and preparations of milk, cereals, flour, and starch, up $11 million.
  • The largest fall was inorganic chemicals, down $22 million.
• USA: total imports were down $66 million (8.9 percent).
  • The largest rises were fertilisers, up $41 million; mechanical machinery and equipment, up $27 million; and pharmaceutical products, up $20 million.
  • The largest falls were aircraft and parts, down $90 million; electrical machinery and equipment, down $45 million; and petroleum and products, down $16 million.
• South Korea: total imports were up $394 million (88 percent).
  • The largest rises were petroleum and products, up $357 million; and vehicles, parts, and accessories, up $16 million.
  • There were no significant falls over $10 million.

Trade deficit in August 2026

The monthly trade balance was a deficit of $1.3 billion.

August 2026 year

Annual values are actual and compared with the year ended August 2025.

• Annual goods exports were valued at $85.3 billion, up $7.7 billion from the previous year.
• Annual goods imports were valued at $90.8 billion, up $10 billion from the previous year.
• The annual trade deficit was $5.4 billion. In the year ended August 2025 the deficit was $3.2 billion.

Text alternative for Goods exports and imports, August 2026 month compared with August 2025 month

The diagram shows goods exports and imports for the August 2026 month compared with the August 2025 month.

The trade balance is a deficit of $1.3 billion. This is the difference between exports valued at $6.7 billion (up $888 million or 15 percent) and imports valued at $8.0 billion (up $924 million or 13 percent).

Export commodities that rose included: meat and edible offal, up $144 million (23 percent); fruit, up $100 million (12 percent); milk powder, butter, and cheese, up $84 million (7.6 percent); precious metals, jewellery, and coins, up $83 million (53 percent).

Export commodities that fell included: casein and caseinates, down $21 million (18 percent); ores and slag, down $12 million (52 percent); pharmaceutical products, down $11 million (15 percent).

Import commodities that rose included: petroleum and products, up $344 million (43 percent); vehicles, parts, and accessories, up $220 million (30 percent); electrical machinery and equipment, up $166 million (25 percent); mechanical machinery and equipment, up $151 million (15 percent).

Import commodities that fell included: aircraft and parts, down $121 million (76 percent); fertilisers, down $105 million (48 percent); railway, down $44 million (71 percent); food residues, wastes, and fodder, down $32 million (24 percent).

*Imports of petroleum and products, railway, and aircraft and parts fluctuate month to month based on individual large movements.

Source: Stats NZ

More data

Use Infoshare to access time-series data for imports and exports (subject category: Imports and exports).

Overseas merchandise trade datasets has CSV data for goods imports and exports.

International trade: June 2026 quarter has information on trade in goods and services.

Definitions and metadata

Overseas merchandise trade - DataInfo+ provides the definitions of terms used in this release and general methodology used to produce overseas merchandise trade statistics.

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Technical enquiries

International accounts team
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04 931 4600

ISSN 1178-0320

Next release

Overseas merchandise trade: September 2026 will be released on 19 October 2026.