Overseas Merchandise Trade 21 May

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 April 2026, compared with April 2025:

• goods exports rose by $943 million (12 percent), to $8.6 billion
• goods imports rose by $221 million (3.4 percent), to $6.7 billion
• the monthly trade balance was a surplus of $1.9 billion.

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

Exports

Goods exports rose by $943 million (12 percent) in April 2026 (to $8.6 billion), compared with April 2025.

Milk powder, butter, and cheese rose $148 million (7.0 percent), to $2.3 billion.

Top monthly export movements by country

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

• China: total exports were up $79 million (3.9 percent).
  • The largest rises were milk powder, butter, and cheese, up $91 million; meat and edible offal, up $47 million; and fish, crustaceans, and molluscs, up $32 million.
  • The largest falls were fruit, down $121 million; preparations of milk, cereals, flour, and starch, down $19 million; and casein and caseinates, down $19 million.
• Australia: total exports were up $201 million (27 percent).
  • The largest rises were precious metals, jewellery, and coins, up $134 million and electrical machinery and equipment, up $13 million.
  • There were no significant falls over $10 million.
• USA: total exports were up $163 million (19 percent).
  • The largest rises were meat and edible offal, up $146 million; optical, medical, and measuring equipment, up $20 million; and casein and caseinates, up $12 million.
  • The largest falls were animal or vegetable fats and oils, down $19 million and fruit, down $18 million.
• EU: total exports were up $214 million (30 percent).
  • The largest rises were fruit, up $113 million; aluminium and aluminium articles, up $71 million; and stone, plaster, concrete, and asbestos, up $27 million.
  • The largest fall was mechanical machinery and equipment, down $47 million.
• Japan: total exports were down $47 million (9.8 percent).
  • The largest rise was aluminium and aluminium articles, up $18 million.
  • The largest falls were fruit, down $26 million and milk powder, butter, and cheese, down $12 million.

Imports

Goods imports rose by $221 million (3.4 percent), in April 2026 (to $6.7 billion), compared with April 2025.

Top monthly import movements by country

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

• China: total imports were up $178 million (13 percent).
  • The largest rises were electrical machinery and equipment, up $91 million; vehicles, parts, and accessories, up $65 million; and mechanical machinery and equipment, up $16 million.
  • The largest fall was toys, games, and sports requisites, down $12 million.
• EU: total imports were up $139 million (17 percent).
  • The largest rises were pharmaceutical products, up $32 million; mechanical machinery and equipment, up $30 million; and optical, medical, and measuring equipment, up $20 million.
  • There were no significant falls over $10 million.
• Australia: total imports were down $14 million (1.9 percent).
  • The largest rises were cereals, up $13 million and paper and paperboard, and articles, up $12 million.
  • The largest fall was inorganic chemicals, down $45 million.
• USA: total imports were down $343 million (39 percent).
  • The largest rise was precious metals, jewellery, and coins, up $11 million.
  • The largest falls were aircraft and parts, down $219 million; mechanical machinery and equipment, down $83 million; and electrical machinery and equipment, down $23 million.
• South Korea: total imports were up $124 million (26 percent).
  • The largest rises were petroleum and products, up $88 million and mechanical machinery and equipment, up $16 million.
  • There were no significant falls over $10 million.

Trade surplus in April 2026

The monthly trade balance was a surplus of $1.9 billion.

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.

April 2026 year

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

• Annual goods exports were valued at $81.7 billion, up $6.4 billion from the previous year.
• Annual goods imports were valued at $84.4 billion, up $4.1 billion from the previous year.
• The annual trade deficit was $2.8 billion. In the year ended April 2025 the annual trade deficit was $5.1 billion.

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

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

The trade balance is a surplus of $1.9 billion. This is the difference between exports valued at $8.6 billion (up $943 million or 12 percent) and imports valued at $6.7 billion (up $221 million or 3.4 percent).

Export commodities that rose included: meat and edible offal, up $272 million (26 percent); precious metals, jewellery, and coins, up $189 million (149 percent); milk powder, butter, and cheese, up $148 million (7.0 percent); crude oil*, up $120 million (388 percent).

Export commodities that fell included: mechanical machinery and equipment, down $47 million (19 percent); fruit, down $44 million (3.5 percent); animal or vegetable fats and oils, down $28 million (48 percent); casein and caseinates, down $21 million (17 percent).

Import commodities that rose included: electrical machinery and equipment, up $127 million (22 percent); vehicles, parts, and accessories, up $110 million (16 percent); mechanical machinery and equipment, up $93 million (10 percent); precious metals, jewellery, and coins, up $44 million (76 percent).

Import commodities that fell included: aircraft and parts*, down $224 million (85 percent); inorganic chemicals, down $49 million (51 percent); textiles and textile articles, down $10 million (4.1 percent).

*Exports and imports of crude oil 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: 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

Sarah Faulkner
[email protected]
04 931 4600

ISSN 1178-0320

Next release

Overseas merchandise trade: May 2026 will be released on 19 June 2026.