Overseas Merchandise Trade 20 April

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 March 2026, compared with March 2025:

• goods exports rose by $542 million (7.3 percent), to $7.9 billion
• goods imports rose by $634 million (9.6 percent), to $7.2 billion
• the monthly trade balance was a surplus of $698 million.

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

Exports

Goods exports rose by $542 million (7.3 percent) in March 2026 (to $7.9 billion), compared with March 2025.

Milk powder, butter, and cheese rose $76 million (3.4 percent), to $2.3 billion.

Top monthly export movements by country

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

• China: total exports were up $213 million (11 percent).
  • The largest rises were milk powder, butter, and cheese, up $107 million; albumins, gelatin, glues, and enzymes, up $24 million; and preparations of milk, cereals, flour, and starch, up $19 million.
  • There were no significant falls over $10 million.
• Australia: total exports were up $289 million (38 percent).
  • The largest rises were precious metals, jewellery, and coins, up $163 million; miscellaneous edible preparations, up $18 million; and fruit, up $15 million.
  • The largest fall was wine, down $16 million.
• USA: total exports were down $56 million (5.9 percent).
  • The largest rises were fruit, up $53 million; milk powder, butter, and cheese, up $22 million; and electrical machinery and equipment, up $15 million.
  • The largest falls were meat and edible offal, down $38 million; casein and caseinates, down $21 million; and wine, down $15 million.
• EU: total exports were up $89 million (14 percent).
  • The largest rises were aluminium and aluminium articles, up $49 million; fruit, up $46 million; and meat and edible offal, up $35 million.
  • The largest fall was mechanical machinery and equipment, down $47 million.
• Japan: total exports were up $13 million (4.1 percent).
  • The largest rise was mineral fuels and oils, up $11 million.
  • There were no significant falls over $10 million.

Imports

Goods imports rose by $634 million (9.6 percent), in March 2026 (to $7.2 billion), compared with March 2025.

Top monthly import movements by country

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

• China: total imports were up $255 million (20 percent).
  • The largest rises were mechanical machinery and equipment, up $72 million; electrical machinery and equipment, up $49 million; and ships, boats, and floating structures, up $30 million.
  • The largest fall was petroleum and products, down $58 million.
• EU: total imports were up $152 million (17 percent).
  • The largest rises were mechanical machinery and equipment, up $38 million; vehicles, parts, and accessories, up $25 million; and precious metals, jewellery, and coins, up $19 million.
  • There were no significant falls over $10 million.
• Australia: total imports were up $184 million (27 percent).
  • The largest rises were precious metals, jewellery, and coins, up $38 million; cereals, up $31 million; and paper and paperboard, and articles, up $17 million.
  • The largest fall was ships, boats, and floating structures, down $15 million.
• USA: total imports were down $95 million (13 percent).
  • The largest rises were petroleum and products, up $15 million and precious metals, jewellery, and coins, up $15 million.
  • The largest falls were electrical machinery and equipment, down $53 million; mechanical machinery and equipment, down $33 million; and food residues, wastes, and fodder, down $24 million.
• South Korea: total imports were up $180 million (54 percent).
  • The largest rise was petroleum and products, up $160 million.
  • There were no significant falls over $10 million.

Trade surplus in March 2026

The monthly trade balance was a surplus of $698 million.

Imports of selected Harmonised System (HS codes) - Supplementary table

The following table presents selected harmonised system (HS codes) for import commodities that may be affected by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

March 2026 quarter

March 2026 values are seasonally adjusted and compared with the December 2025 quarter.

• Goods exports rose 0.1 percent ($30 million) to $20.6 billion, following a 2.0 percent rise in the December 2025 quarter.
• Goods imports rose 1.9 percent ($414 million) to $21.9 billion, following a 5.1 percent rise in the December 2025 quarter.
• The quarterly trade balance was a deficit of $1.3 billion.

March 2026 year

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

• Annual goods exports were valued at $81.0 billion, up $7.1 billion from the previous year.
• Annual goods imports were valued at $84.2 billion, up $4.1 billion from the previous year.
• The annual trade deficit was $3.2 billion. In the year ended March 2025 the deficit was $6.3 billion.

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

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

The trade balance is a surplus of $698 million. This is the difference between exports valued at $7.9 billion (up $542 million or 7.3 percent) and imports valued at $7.2 billion (up $634 million or 9.6 percent).

Export commodities that rose included: precious metals, jewellery, and coins, up $166 million (166 percent); fruit, up $149 million (24 percent); milk powder, butter, and cheese, up $76 million (3.4 percent); and preparations of milk, cereals, flour, and starch, up $44 million (21 percent).

Export commodities that fell included: mechanical machinery and equipment, down $52 million (19 percent); crude oil*, down $38 million (95 percent); wine, down $34 million (15 percent); and eggs, honey, and other edible animal products, down $14 million (29 percent).

Import commodities that rose included: mechanical machinery and equipment, up $273 million (31 percent); vehicles, parts, and accessories, up $181 million (28 percent); precious metals, jewellery, and coins, up $107 million (203 percent); and optical, medical, and measuring equipment, up $35 million (13 percent).

Import commodities that fell included: petroleum and products*, down $310 million (30 percent); food residues, wastes, and fodder, down $41 million (23 percent); railway, down $15 million (45 percent); and organic chemicals, down $12 million (22 percent).

*Imports and exports of crude oil and petroleum and products fluctuate month to month base 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: December 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]
04 931 4600

ISSN 1178-0320

Next release

Overseas merchandise trade: April 2026 will be released on 21 May 2026.