Overseas Merchandise Trade 22 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 2025, compared with March 2024:

• goods exports rose by $1.2 billion (19 percent), to $7.6 billion
• goods imports rose by $723 million (12 percent), to $6.6 billion
• the monthly trade balance was a surplus of $970 million.

Text alternative for Goods imports and exports, March 2025 month, compared with March 2024 month

Exports

Goods exports rose by $1.2 billion (19 percent) in March 2025 (to $7.6 billion), compared with March 2024.

Milk powder, butter, and cheese rose $596 million (35 percent), to $2.3 billion.

Note: The 'Milk powder, butter, and cheese' (MPBC) category is HS0401 to 0406, which includes more than the four items listed above, however these make up the majority of the category. This category is a standard convention also used by the Ministry for Primary Industries.

Top monthly export movements by country

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

• China: total exports were up $371 million (23 percent).
  • The largest rises were milk powder, butter, and cheese, up $287 million; fruit, up $136 million; and logs, and wood, and wood articles, up $17 million.
  • The largest falls were petroleum and products, down $33 million; preparations of milk, cereals, flour, and starch, down $19 million; and meat and edible offal, down $11 million.
• USA: total exports were up $176 million (22 percent).
  • The largest rises were meat and edible offal, up $153 million; beverages, spirits, and vinegar, up $22 million; and logs, wood, and wood articles, up $16 million.
  • The largest falls were precious metals, jewellery, and coins, down $29 million; and casein and caseinates, down $25 million.
• Australia: total exports were down $3.7 million (0.47 percent).
  • There were no significant rises over $10 million.
  • The largest fall was electrical machinery and equipment, down $12 million.
• EU: total exports were up $223 million (51 percent).
  • The largest rises were meat and edible offal, up $58 million; mechanical machinery and equipment, up $50 million; and fruit, up $31 million.
  • The largest fall was seeds, raw peanuts, and soya flour, down $11 million.
• Japan: total exports were up $33 million (11 percent).
  • The largest rises were fruit, up $37 million; and milk powder, butter, and cheese, up $11 million.
  • There were no significant falls over $10 million.

Imports

Goods imports rose by $723 million (12 percent) in March 2025 (to $6.6 billion), compared with March 2024.

Top monthly import movements by country

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

• China: total imports were up $158 million (14 percent).
  • The largest rises were petroleum and products, up $74 million; mechanical machinery and equipment, up $42 million; and electrical machinery and equipment, up $21 million.
  • There were no significant falls over $10 million.
• EU: total imports were up $145 million (19 percent).
  • The largest rises were vehicles, parts, and accessories, up $41 million; pharmaceutical products, up $34 million; and electrical machinery and equipment, up $25 million.
  • There were no significant falls over $10 million.
• Australia: total imports were up $35 million (5.2 percent).
  • The largest rises were pharmaceutical products, up $14 million; and precious metals, jewellery, and coins, up $12 million.
  • The largest falls were inorganic chemicals, down $12 million; and food residues, wastes, and fodder, down $10 million.
• USA: total imports were up $243 million (48 percent).
  • The largest rises were mechanical machinery and equipment, up $85 million; electrical machinery and equipment, up $67 million; and food residues, wastes, and fodder, up $22 million.
  • The largest fall was petroleum and products, down $27 million.
• South Korea: total imports were down $48 million (12 percent).
  • There were no significant rises over $10 million.
  • The largest falls were petroleum and products, down $33 million; and vehicles, parts, and accessories, down $22 million.

Trade surplus in March 2025

The monthly trade balance was a surplus of $970 million.

March 2025 quarter

March 2025 values are seasonally adjusted and compared with the December 2024 quarter.

• Goods exports rose 11 percent ($2.0 billion) to $20.6 billion, following a 5.7 percent rise in the December 2024 quarter.
• Goods imports rose 4.1 percent ($818 million) to $20.6 billion, following a 1.6 percent fall in the December 2024 quarter.
• The quarterly trade balance was a deficit of $41 million.

March 2025 year

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

• Annual goods exports were valued at $74.1 billion, up $5.1 billion from the previous year.
• Annual goods imports were valued at $80.2 billion, up $1.3 billion from the previous year.
• The annual trade deficit was $6.1 billion. In the year ended March 2024 the deficit was $10.0 billion.

Text alternative for Goods imports and exports, March 2025 month compared with March 2024 month

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

The trade balance is a surplus of $970 million. This is the difference between exports valued at $7.6 billion (up $1.2 billion or 19 percent) and imports valued at $6.6 billion (up $723 million or 12 percent).

Export commodities that rose included: milk powder, butter, and cheese, up $596 million (35 percent); meat and edible offal, up $286 million (34 percent); fruit, up $271 million (74 percent); and mechanical machinery and equipment, up $93 million (50 percent).

Export commodities that fell included: petroleum and products*, down $111 million (72 percent); casein and caseinates, down $39 million (28 percent); precious metals, jewellery, and coins, down $27 million (22 percent); and preparations of milk, cereals, flour, and starch, down $23 million (9.6 percent).

Import commodities that rose included: petroleum and products*, up $162 million (18 percent); electrical machinery and equipment, up $137 million (27 percent); mechanical machinery and equipment, up $91 million (11 percent); and pharmaceutical products, up $74 million (42 percent).

Import commodities that fell included: vehicles, parts, and accessories, down $67 million (9.3 percent); fertilisers, down $52 million (44 percent); and inorganic chemicals, down $14 million (17 percent).

*Exports and imports of petroleum and products 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 2024 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

Keith Hewitt
04 931 4600
[email protected]

ISSN 1178-0320

Next release

Overseas merchandise trade: April 2025 will be released on 21 May 2025.