1 February 2006
Dairy Drives Increase in Exports
Exports of merchandise goods for the month of December 2005 increased 4.3 percent compared with December 2004, and are
valued at $2,651 million, Statistics New Zealand said today. Driving the increase were higher values for milk powder,
butter and cheese, up 23.3 percent. Imports of merchandise goods for December 2005 decreased by 4.0 percent and are
valued at $2,943 million.
The monthly trade balance for December 2005 is a deficit of $292 million (11.0 percent of exports). The average trade
balance for December months during the past decade is a deficit of $279 million.
In the December 2005 quarter, seasonally adjusted exports of merchandise goods are valued at $7,848 million, up 4.9
percent compared with the September 2005 quarter. This increase was driven by milk powder, butter and cheese; kiwifruit;
and casein and caseinates. The seasonally adjusted value of imports this quarter is $9,551 million, up 1.8 percent on
the September 2005 quarter. Import values for transport equipment, and petrol and avgas had the largest increases for
the quarter.
The seasonally adjusted trade balance for the December 2005 quarter is a deficit of $1,703 million (21.7 percent of
exports). The trend for the quarterly trade balance has been in deficit since June 2002.
Brian Pink
Government Statistician
ENDS