28 October 2005
Overseas Merchandise Trade: September 2005 —
Imports Increase Due to Capital Goods
Capital goods is the major contributor to the 2.0 percent increase in the seasonally adjusted imports value for the
September 2005 quarter, Statistics New Zealand said today. Capital transport equipment, which excludes passengers motor
cars, rose 34.0 percent, mainly due to imported ships, boats and aircraft.
Capital machinery and plant rose 8.6 percent, with the main contributors being machinery plant, tractors and computer
equipment. Consumption goods had an increase of 0.6 percent, while intermediate goods decreased by 1.7 percent.
The seasonally adjusted value of exports decreased 3.4 percent this quarter, following a decrease of 1.6 percent in the
previous quarter. Contributing to this decrease were lower export values for milk powder, butter and cheese; fish,
crustaceans and molluscs; and casein and caseinates.
The increased value of imports, together with the decreased value of exports, resulted in a seasonally adjusted trade
deficit of $2,027 million (27.3 percent of exports) for the September 2005 quarter, compared with a deficit of $1,585
million (20.6 percent of exports) for the previous quarter. The trend of the trade balance has been in deficit since
June 2002.
Brian Pink
Government Statistician
ENDS