Overseas Merchandise Trade 19 December

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 November 2025, compared with November 2024:

• goods exports rose by $588 million (9.2 percent), to $7.0 billion
• goods imports rose by $301 million (4.4 percent), to $7.2 billion
• the monthly trade balance was a deficit of $163 million.

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Exports

Goods exports rose by $588 million (9.2 percent) in November 2025 (to $7.0 billion), compared with November 2024.

Milk powder, butter, and cheese exports rose $132 million (5.9 percent), to $2.4 billion.

Kiwifruit exports rose $993 million (29 percent) to $4.4 billion in the year ended November 2025.

Apple exports rose $280 million (29 percent) to $1.3 billion in the year ended November 2025, led by Royal gala.

Precious metal exports rose by $138 million (106 percent) in November 2025 (to $268 million), compared with November 2024.

Top monthly export movements by country

The monthly movements in November 2025, compared with November 2024, for our top export partners (in order of total annual goods exports) were:

• China: total exports were down $12 million (0.7 percent).
  • The largest rises were logs, wood, and wood articles, up $41 million; miscellaneous edible preparations, up $17 million; and electrical machinery and equipment, up $17 million.
  • The largest falls were milk powder, butter, and cheese, down $49 million; meat and edible offal, down $42 million; and fish, crustaceans, and molluscs, down $14 million.
• Australia: total exports were up $247 million (31 percent).
  • The largest rises were precious metals, jewellery, and coins, up $135 million; milk powder, butter, and cheese, up $32 million; and vehicles, parts, and accessories, up $29 million.
  • There were no significant falls over $10 million.
• USA: total exports were down $136 million (17 percent).
  • There were no significant rises over $10 million.
  • The largest falls were mechanical machinery and equipment, down $18 million; iron and steel, and articles, down $17 million; and electrical machinery and equipment, down $16 million.
• EU: total exports were up $173 million (51 percent).
  • The largest rises were mechanical machinery and equipment, up $67 million; meat and edible offal, up $59 million; and aluminium and aluminium articles, up $22 million.
  • There were no significant falls over $10 million.
• Japan: total exports were up $5.4 million (1.9 percent).
  • The largest rises were milk powder, butter, and cheese, up $14 million, and meat and edible offal, up $11 million.
  • There were no significant falls over $10 million.

Imports

Goods imports rose by $301 million (4.4 percent) in November 2025 (to $7.2 billion), compared with November 2024.

Top monthly import movements by country

The monthly movements in November 2025, compared with November 2024, for our top import partners (in order of total annual goods imports) were:

• China: total imports were up $28 million (1.7 percent).
  • The largest rises were vehicles, parts, and accessories, up $61 million, and fertilisers, up $14 million.
  • The largest falls were petroleum and products, down $49 million; electrical machinery and equipment, down $40 million; and iron and steel, and articles, down $12 million.
• EU: total imports were up $150 million (17 percent).
  • The largest rises were aircraft and parts, up $36 million; pharmaceutical products, up $30 million; and vehicles, parts, and accessories, up $30 million.
  • There were no significant falls over $10 million.
• Australia: total imports were down $65 million (7.7 percent).
  • The largest rises were precious metals, jewellery, and coins, up $23 million, and inorganic chemicals, up $13 million.
  • The largest falls were sugars and sugar confectionery, down $24 million, and electrical machinery and equipment, down $18 million.
• USA: total imports were up $201 million (36 percent).
  • The largest rises were mechanical machinery and equipment, up $166 million; food residues, wastes, and fodder, up $15 million; and aircraft and parts, up $13 million.
  • The largest falls were electrical machinery and equipment, down $31 million, and petroleum and products, down $17 million.
• South Korea: total imports were up $83 million (20 percent).
  • The largest rise was petroleum and products, up $116 million.
  • There were no significant falls over $10 million.

Trade deficit in November 2025

The monthly trade balance was a deficit of $163 million.

November 2025 year

Annual values are actual and compared with the year ended November 2024.

• Annual goods exports were valued at $79.9 billion, up $9.9 billion from the previous year.
• Annual goods imports were valued at $81.9 billion, up $3.7 billion from the previous year.
• The annual trade deficit was $2.1 billion. In the year ended November 2024 the deficit was $8.3 billion.

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The diagram shows goods exports and imports for the November 2025 month compared with the November 2024 month.

The trade balance is a deficit of $163 million. This is the difference between exports valued at $7.0 billion (up $588 million or 9.2 percent) and imports valued at $7.2 billion (up $301 million or 4.4 percent).

Export commodities that rose included: precious metals, jewellery, and coins, up $138 million (106 percent); milk powder, butter, and cheese, up $132 million (5.9 percent); meat and edible offal, up $100 million (14 percent); mechanical machinery and equipment, up $56 million (27 percent).

Export commodities that fell included: crude oil down $36 million (49 percent); fish, crustaceans, and molluscs, down $23 million (12 percent); wood pulp and waste paper, down $17 million (22 percent); and wine, down $12 million (6.3 percent).

Import commodities that rose included: mechanical machinery and equipment, up $147 million (16 percent); vehicles, parts, and accessories, up $60 million (8.9 percent); aircraft and parts, up $56 million (98 percent); petroleum and products, up $55 million (7.3 percent).

Import commodities that fell included: electrical machinery and equipment, down $81 million (10 percent); fertilisers, down $39 million (32 percent); sugars and sugar confectionery, down $25 million (36 percent).

Note: Imports and exports of crude oil, petroleum and products, 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: September 2025 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.

Technical enquiries

Shannon Garrick
[email protected]

ISSN 1178-0320

Next release

Overseas merchandise trade: December 2025 will be released on 29 January 2026.