Nimble New Zealand exporters finding opportunity amid shifting trade terms
Global trade wars and uncertain tariff regimes could play into the hands of many New Zealand exporters, according to Gareth Coleman ANZ’s Head of Trade & Supply Chain.
MEAT, FORESTRY and dairy all contributed to seasonally adjusted export volumes falling 5.3% in the June quarter, while import volumes rose 3.6%, Statistics New Zealand says.
"Export volumes recorded their largest fall since the March 2008 quarter," international statistics manager Jason Attewell says. "This was due to falls from high levels in key primary products."
Seasonally adjusted meat export volumes fell 8.3%, forestry volumes fell 8.3%, and dairy volumes fell 2%.
Seasonally adjusted import volumes rose 3.6%, continuing a series of rises that began at the start of 2013. Capital goods led the rise this quarter, accompanied by rises in other key import groupings.
The trend for import volumes has been rising for seven consecutive quarters – by a total of 19%.
The terms of trade for goods rose 0.3% due to export prices falling less than import prices. "This is the lowest of six consecutive quarterly rises for the terms of trade, which is now 1.3% below its all-time high in the June 1973 quarter," Attewell says/
Terms of trade is a measure of the purchasing power of New Zealand's exports abroad. An increase means New Zealand can buy more imports for the same amount of exports.
A strengthening New Zealand dollar had a downward influence on import and export prices.
The price of exported goods fell 2%, with dairy prices falling 4.3% and forestry product prices falling 6.5% (influenced by a large fall in log prices).
Prices for imported goods fell 2.3%.. The fall was broad based. Petroleum and petroleum products (down 3.9%, due to lower prices for crude oil) contributed the most to the overall fall.
The price and volume indexes for exports and imports of goods are compiled mainly from overseas merchandise trade data.
NZPork has appointed Auckland-based Paul Bucknell as its new chair.
The Government claims to have delivered on its election promise to protect productive farmland from emissions trading scheme (ETS) but red meat farmers aren’t happy.
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.
OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.
OPINION: For years, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style…
OPINION: A mate of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE.