Fruit exports help lift wholesale trade
Fruit exports help lift wholesale trade – Media release
7 March 2017
Rising fruit exports in the December 2016 quarter saw wholesale trade sales rise for the third quarter in a row, Statistics New Zealand said today.
Seasonally adjusted total wholesale trade sales were up 0.7 percent in the December 2016 quarter, after rising 1.2 percent in the September 2016 quarter and 1.8 percent in the June 2016 quarter.
"Sales of fruit for exports were higher than usual for a December quarter," business indicators senior manager Neil Kelly said. "The December quarter is non-peak season for fruit exports."
When adjusted for seasonal effects, four of the six wholesaling industries rose in the December 2016 quarter. The largest industry increase was in grocery, liquor, and tobacco products wholesaling, which was up 2.0 percent ($150 million) from the September 2016 quarter. Fruit exports come under this category. The other industries with large sales movements were:
• machinery and
equipment – up 1.7 percent ($79 million)
• other
goods wholesaling – down 1.9 percent ($76 million).
The other goods wholesaling industry includes textile, clothing, and footwear; pharmaceutical and toiletry goods; and furniture and floor covering.
The trend for wholesale trade sales has generally been increasing since late-2009.
The actual value of wholesale trade sales was $25.9 billion in the latest quarter, almost $1 billion up (3.8 percent) from the December 2015 quarter.
Ends
For more information about these statistics:
• Visit Wholesale Trade Survey: December 2016
quarter
• Open the attached files
WholesaleTradeSurveyDec16qtr.pdf