Māori authorities exported $741 million worth of commodities in the 2019 year, a record value in the last 10 years, Stats NZ said today.
The role of Māori authorities and their subsidiaries is to receive, manage, and/or administer assets held in common ownership by Māori.
In 2019, exports by Māori authorities were up $46 million (7 percent) from 2018, reaching a new high of $741 million. This follows an increasing trend in total exports by Māori authorities throughout the past decade.
| Total $ | Māori authority |
| 2010 | 284000000 |
| 2011 | 373000000 |
| 2012 | 441000000 |
| 2013 | 514000000 |
| 2014 | 528000000 |
| 2015 | 486000000 |
| 2016 | 543000000 |
| 2017 | 630000000 |
| 2018 | 695000000 |
| 2019 | 741000000 |
"Māori have a long history of overseas trade, going back as early as the 1820s," business statistics senior manager Peter Dolan said.
Kaimoana (seafood), including fish, crayfish, and mussels, was the top export for Māori authorities in 2019 at $365 million, making up almost half the value of their total exports. Seafood export values for Māori authorities have trended upward in the past decade. In more recent years, other exports have seen strong growth, but kaimoana remains the top export commodity.
Twenty percent of all fish, crustacean, and mollusc exports from New Zealand are exported by Māori authorities.
China remained the top export market in 2019, accounting for $354 million of commodities, almost half of all Māori authorities' exports.
"China has been one of New Zealand's largest export markets over the past 10 years," Mr Dolan said.
"They accounted for more than one-third of New Zealand's kaimoana exports in 2019."
