Monthly exports reach new record in December

Monthly exports reach new record in December

30 January 2018

Exports of milk powder, butter, and cheese lifted total exports to a record $5.6 billion in December 2017, Stats NZ said today. Monthly exports were $1.1 billion higher than in December 2016.

“Record export values of dairy products drove total exports to their highest-ever monthly value,” international statistics manager Tehseen Islam said. “The previous highest values for both dairy exports and total exports were recorded in the 2013/14 dairy export season, when dairy prices were at a high level.”

The export values of dairy products increased by $445 million (30 percent) from December 2016, reaching $1.9 billion. The leading contributors to the increase were milk powder (up $233 million) and butter (up $137 million).

Meat and edible offal exports were up $229 million (47 percent), and forestry products were up $94 million (27 percent).

The largest increase in exports amongst our trading partners was to China, up $343 million (28 percent), led by dairy products (up $230 million).

Total import values were $4.9 billion in December 2017, up $494 million (11 percent) from December 2016.

The largest rise in import values was in mechanical machinery and equipment (such as aircraft parts), up $141 million (21 percent) from December 2016.

Trade surplus in December 2017

The monthly trade balance in December 2017 was $640 million (12 percent of exports). The surplus is the largest in any December month, and the largest in any month since March 2015 ($661 million).

For more information about these statistics:
• Visit Overseas merchandise trade: December 2017
• See CSV files for download

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