NZ monthly trade deficit widest in two years

New Zealand's trade deficit widened to the biggest monthly gap since September 2014 as dairy and meat exports slumped in August.

The deficit of $1.27 billion in August was larger than the deficit of $351 million in July and $1.09 billion in the same month a year earlier, Statistics New Zealand said. Exports sank 8.7% to $3.39 billion from August 2015, outpacing a 3.1% fall in imports to $4.65 billion.

The country's two biggest export commodities dropped by more than a fifth in August, with milk powder, butter and cheese exports down 22% to $475 million in August, and meat and edible offal exports sinking 26% to $317 million. Fruit exports, which have been propped up by record sales of kiwifruit, fell 11% to $241 million. Logs, wood and wood articles helped offset the decline, rising 24% to $399 million.

"The large fall in export value this month comes off the back of high export volumes in the June quarter," international statistics senior manager Stuart Jones said. "Logs are the only major commodity to continue high volumes and values through to August."

New Zealand's exporters have come under pressure from a resurgent currency in recent months, with the New Zealand dollar climbing 6.4% on a trade-weighted basis since the start of June and making local goods more expensive on international markets.

The biggest falls in milk powder, butter and cheese products exports were to China and the United Arab Emirates while the biggest drop in meat exports was to the US and UK.

The decline in monthly imports was led by a 17% fall in capital goods such as transport equipment and machinery to $967 million and a 38% slump in crude oil to $175 million. Imports of vehicles, parts and accessories rose 13% to $767 million last month from August 2015.

ASB Bank economist Jane Turner said the deficit was much larger than the market expected, though August is typically a weaker month for New Zealand's agricultural exports.

"The key driver of the surprise for us was weaker exports (in particularly dairy) but imports were significantly stronger than the market was expecting as well," MsTurner said in a note. "Over the coming year, we expect declines in dairy export volumes as New Zealand production falls."

On an annual basis, annual exports slipped 0.5% to $47.8 billion and imports fell 1% to $51.93 billion to post a trade deficit of $3.13 billion. China was the country's biggest trading partner, accounting for about 19% of two-way trade.

Despite taking less milk powder, butter and cheese, China bought more exports in August, up 2% to $634 million, and was just one of three of New Zealand's biggest export destinations to increase their purchases from a year earlier.

(BusinessDesk)