In November 2025, New Zealand's trade deficit decreased significantly to NZD 163 million, compared to NZD 450 million in the same month of the previous year. This improvement was driven by a 9.2% increase in exports, reaching NZD 7 billion. Key contributors to this growth included notable rises in the exports of milk powder and butter (5.9%), kiwifruit (29%), apples (29%), and precious metals (106%). Export activities showed a robust performance with an increase of 31% to Australia, a substantial 51% to the European Union, and 1.9% to Japan.
On the import side, figures grew by 4.4%, totaling NZD 7.2 billion. This was primarily due to increased imports of petroleum and related products, mechanical machinery and equipment, vehicles, parts and accessories, as well as aircraft and components. Specific growth in imports was observed from China with a rise of 1.7%, the European Union at 17%, the United States at 36%, and from South Korea at 20%.
