01:26 18 / 11 / 2015

Annual goods imports of New Zealand from China reached a new high of $10billion, up $1.6 billion (19 percent), for the year ending September 2015,Statistics New Zealand said today. Total goods imports reached $52 billion, thehighest-ever for a 12-month period.

Monthly imports from China topped $1 billion for thefirst time in September, up 22 percent ($193 million) to $1.1 billion, comparedwith September 2014. Total monthly imports, excluding large import items, werethe highest-ever in September 2015, up 8.1 percent ($368 million) to $4.9billion, compared with September last year.

“The value ofimports from China has increased across most commodities for the last 12months,” international statistics senior manager Jason Attewell said. “Mobilephones and laptops led the increase, up a quarter of a billion dollars.”

Annual two-way trade (imports plus exports) with China has beenincreasing since June this year and is now at $18 billion. This is despitedairy exports driving a 26 percent decrease in total exports to China for thelast 12 months, down $3.0 billion compared with the year ending September 2014.