Meat exports fall 15 percent in September quarter

Meat exports fall 15 percent in September quarter

27 October 2016

Meat and edible offal exports fell 15 percent ($235 million) in the September quarter, Statistics New Zealand said today. The fall in values, after adjusting for seasonal effects, was due to a 13 percent fall in the quantities exported.

"We are seeing the effect of lower prices after the record meat season last year," international statistics senior manager Jason Attewell said. "In the year ended September, the actual value of meat exports has fallen by around 7 percent, but quantities were little changed, down 1 percent."

The fall in meat exports was a leading factor in a drop in total goods exports from the June 2016 quarter. Overall, seasonally adjusted quarterly goods exports fell by 4.8 percent ($605 million).

Other key movements in the September 2016 quarter included a fall in the value of fruit exports, down 5.8 percent ($40 million) to $644 million, and a rise in the value of forestry products, up 4.1 percent ($43 million) to $1.1 billion.

Exports of milk powder, butter, and cheese were little changed in the September 2016 quarter.

The seasonally adjusted value of goods imports rose 2.2 percent, led by a rise in capital goods.

The seasonally adjusted quarterly trade deficit was $1.1 billion, equivalent to 9.5 percent of exports.

This release focuses on our goods trade. For the year ended June 2016, goods made up 70 percent of total exports, and 74 percent of total imports. Goods and Services Trade by Country: Year ended September 2016 will be available on 2 December 2016.

For more information about these statistics:
• Visit Overseas Merchandise Trade: September 2016

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