Overseas Merchandise Trade 19 October

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 September 2026, compared with September 2025:

• goods exports rose by $707 million (12 percent), to $6.5 billion
• goods imports rose by $1.3 billion (18 percent), to $8.4 billion
• the monthly trade balance was a deficit of $2.0 billion.

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

Exports

Goods exports rose by $707 million (12 percent) in September 2026 (to $6.5 billion), compared with September 2025.

Milk powder, butter, and cheese rose $129 million (9.6 percent), to $1.5 billion.

Changes in exports of milk powder, butter, and cheese, September 2026 compared with September 2025

	September 2026 value ($ million)	Change in value ($ million)	Change in value	Change in quantity	Change in unit price
Milk powder, butter, and cheese	1,472	129	9.6%	*	*
Milk powder	642	74	13%	22%	-7.6%
Milk fats (including butter)	327	3.9	1.2%	18%	-14%
Cheese	227	24	12%	16%	-3.4%
Fresh milk and cream	176	11	6.7%	*	*
* Changes in total quantity and unit price are omitted due to differences in units of measure.

Meat and edible offal exports were valued at $12.2 billion in the year ended September 2026, up $2.3 billion (23 percent) compared with the year ended September 2025.

Top monthly export movements by country

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

• China: total exports were up $185 million (14 percent).
  • The largest rises were fruit, up $73 million; meat and edible offal, up $41 million; and fish, crustaceans, and molluscs, up $30 million.
  • There were no significant falls over $10 million.

• Australia: total exports were up $79 million (8.4 percent).
  • The largest rises were precious metals, jewellery, and coins, up $66 million; miscellaneous edible preparations, up $19 million; and fruit, up $17 million.
  • The largest fall was crude oil, down $68 million.

• USA: total exports were up $54 million (8.7 percent).
  • The largest rises were meat and edible offal, up $24 million; electrical machinery and equipment, up $18 million; and precious metals, jewellery, and coins, up $12 million.
  • The largest fall was milk powder, butter, and cheese, down $12 million.

• EU: total exports were up $47 million (9.2 percent).
  • The largest rises were aluminium and aluminium articles, up $32 million; meat and edible offal, up $17 million; and wine, up $10 million.
  • The largest falls were fruit, down $22 million; and pharmaceutical products, down $11 million.

• Japan: total exports were up $29 million (9.8 percent).
  • The largest rise was aluminium and aluminium articles, up $33 million.
  • The largest fall was milk powder, butter, and cheese, down $12 million.

Imports

Goods imports rose by $1.3 billion (18 percent) in September 2026 (to $8.4 billion), compared with September 2025.

Petroleum and petroleum products imports were valued at $1.2 billion in September 2026, up $608 million (96 percent) compared with September 2025.

While overseas merchandise trade does not explicitly measure price changes, the rising value of fuel imports over the period was predominately driven by higher prices.

Top monthly import movements by country

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

• China: total imports were up $438 million (26 percent).
  • The largest rises were electrical machinery and equipment, up $131 million; vehicles, parts, and accessories, up $103 million; and mechanical machinery and equipment, up $33 million.
  • There were no significant falls over $10 million.

• EU: total imports were up $38 million (3.3 percent).
  • The largest rises were mechanical machinery and equipment, up $37 million; pharmaceutical products, up $31 million; and optical, medical, and measuring equipment, up $18 million.
  • The largest falls were aircraft and parts, down $35 million; and railway, down $25 million.

• Australia: total imports were up $82 million (11 percent).
  • The largest rises were sugars and sugar confectionery, up $21 million; pharmaceutical products, up $13 million; and petroleum and products, up $13 million.
  • The largest fall was inorganic chemicals, down $11 million.

• USA: total imports were down $55 million (8.3 percent).
  • The largest rise was petroleum and products, up $25 million.
  • The largest falls were mechanical machinery and equipment, down $38 million; cereals, down $15 million; food residues, wastes, and fodder, down $11 million.

• South Korea: total imports were up $129 million (24 percent).
  • The largest rise was petroleum and products, up $121 million.
  • The largest fall was vehicles, parts, and accessories, down $19 million.

Trade deficit in September 2026

The monthly trade balance was a deficit of $2.0 billion.

September 2026 quarter

September 2026 values are seasonally adjusted and compared with the June 2026 quarter.

• Goods exports rose 1.2 percent ($273 million) to $22.4 billion, following a 7.0 percent rise in the June 2026 quarter.
• Goods imports rose 2.1 percent ($507 million) to $24.4 billion, following a 7.6 percent rise in the June 2026 quarter.
• The quarterly trade balance was a deficit of $2.0 billion.

September 2026 year

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

• Annual goods exports were valued at $85.8 billion, up $7.4 billion from the previous year.
• Annual goods imports were valued at $92.0 billion, up $11.1 billion from the previous year.
• The annual trade deficit was $6.2 billion. In the year ended September 2025 the annual trade deficit was $2.4 billion.

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

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

The trade balance is a deficit of $2.0 billion. This is the difference between exports valued at $6.5 billion (up $707 million or 12 percent) and imports valued at $8.4 billion (up $1.3 billion or 18 percent).

Export commodities that rose included: milk powder, butter, and cheese, up $129 million (9.6 percent); meat and edible offal, up $127 million (22 percent); aluminium and aluminium articles, up $85 million (53 percent); fruit, up $79 million (17 percent).

Export commodities that fell included: crude oil*, down $70 million (62 percent); pharmaceutical products, down $20 million (27 percent); aircraft and parts*, down $14 million (51 percent); ores and slag, down $12 million (98 percent).

Import commodities that rose included: petroleum and products*, up $608 million (96 percent); electrical machinery and equipment, up $181 million (26 percent); mechanical machinery and equipment, up $94 million (9.0 percent); food residues, wastes, and fodder, up $92 million (79 percent).

Import commodities that fell included: railway*, down $34 million (79 percent); aircraft and parts*, down $27 million (22 percent); cocoa and cocoa preparations, down $23 million (31 percent); fertilisers, down $13 million (8.3 percent).

*Exports and imports of railway, 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: June 2026 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.

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Technical enquiries

International accounts team
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04 931 4600

ISSN 1178-0320

Next release

Overseas merchandise trade: October 2026 will be released on 19 November 2026.