That dollar amount results from a 7.4% gain compared to $43.4 billion five years earlier during 2021.
Year over year, the value of goods exported from New Zealand grew by 9.8% from $42.4 billion in 2024.
Based on the average exchange rate for 2025, the New Zealand dollar depreciated by -3.9% against the US dollar from 2024 to 2025. New Zealand’s weaker local currency makes its exports paid for in stronger US dollars relatively less expensive for international buyers starting with American currency.
New Zealand’s biggest export products by value in 2025 were concentrated and sweetened milk or cream, butter, sheep or goat meat, miscellaneous fresh fruit and frozen beef. In aggregate, those major exports generated almost two-fifths (38.5%) of overall exports sales from New Zealand. That percentage suggests a relatively concentrated range of exported goods mainly from the agricultural sector.
New Zealand is a world leader for exporting concentrated and sweetened milk or cream, rough wood and butter plus other milk fats and oils.
New Zealand also ranks among the top countries for global sales of sheep or goat meat and frozen beef.
New Zealand’s Best International Trade Customers
The latest available country-specific data shows that 72.3% of products exported from New Zealand was bought by importers in: mainland China (24.7% of New Zealand’s total), Australia (12.6%), United States of America (11.7%), Japan (4.9%), South Korea (3.2%), United Kingdom (2.6%), Taiwan (2.4%), Indonesia (2.2%), Singapore (2.17%), Netherlands (2%), Malaysia (1.9%) and Canada (1.8%).
From a continental perspective, 55.2% of New Zealand’s exports by value was delivered to Asian countries while 15.1% was sold to importers in Oceania led by Australia and Fiji. New Zealand shipped another 14.4% worth of goods to buyers located in North America.
Smaller percentages went to customers in Europe (11.4%), Africa (2.6%) then Latin America (1.3%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean.
Given New Zealand’s population of 5.4 million people, its total US$46.6 billion during 2025 export sales translates to roughly $8,600 for every resident in the island country in Oceania. That per-capita amount surpasses the average $7,900 in 2024.
New Zealand’s Top 10 Exports
The following export product groups categorize the highest dollar value in global shipments from New Zealand during 2025. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from New Zealand.
- Dairy, eggs, honey: US$14.4 billion (30.8% of total exports)
- Meat: $6 billion (12.9%)
- Fruits, nuts: $3.6 billion (7.6%)
- Wood: $3 billion (6.4%)
- Cereal/milk preparations: $1.7 billion (3.6%)
- Machinery including computers: $1.5 billion (3.3%)
- Beverages, spirits, vinegar: $1.5 billion (3.2%)
- Modified starches, glues, enzymes: $1.25 billion (2.7%)
- Gems, precious metals: $1.21 billion (2.6%)
- Fish: $1.19 billion (2.5%)
New Zealand’s top 10 export product categories attracted over three-quarters (75.7%) of the overall revenues for its global shipments.
Gems and precious metals represent the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 59.3% from 2024 to 2025.
In second place for improving export sales was fruits and nuts which advanced by 23.8%.
New Zealand’s shipments of meat posted the third-fastest gain in value, up by 16% year over year.
The leading decliner among New Zealand’s top 10 export categories was fish via a -2.6% reduction.
For a detailed listing of New Zealand’s most lucrative exports at the 4-digit HTS code level, please see the section below.
Searchable List of New Zealand’s Most Valuable Export Products
At the more granular 4-digit HTS code level, the following searchable table displays 100 of the most in-demand goods shipped from New Zealand during 2025. Shown beside each product label is its total export value then the percentage increase or decrease since 2024.
| Rank | New Zealand Export Product | Value (US$) | 2024-5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Concentrated/sweetened milk, cream | $5,938,687,000 | +10.9% |
| 2 | Butter | $2,811,015,000 | +25.4% |
| 3 | Sheep or goat meat | $2,176,533,000 | +25.1% |
| 4 | Miscellaneous fruits (fresh) | $2,131,532,000 | +25% |
| 5 | Frozen beef | $2,258,105,000 | +7.9% |
| 6 | Cheese, curd | $1,656,695,000 | +21.4% |
| 7 | Rough wood | $1,895,427,000 | +3.1% |
| 8 | Flour/meal/starch/malt extract food preparations | $1,491,021,000 | +2.7% |
| 9 | Wine | $1,215,457,000 | +3.7% |
| 10 | Not concentrated/unsweetened milk, cream | $938,852,000 | +16.8% |
| 11 | Gold (unwrought) | $607,720,000 | +75.3% |
| 12 | Aluminum (unwrought) | $730,939,000 | +12.3% |
| 13 | Casein | $809,061,000 | +0.7% |
| 14 | Other food preparations | $726,230,000 | +3.2% |
| 15 | Apples, pears (fresh) | $601,734,000 | +23.6% |
| 16 | Whey | $684,461,000 | +6.3% |
| 17 | Sawn wood | $620,152,000 | +8.4% |
| 18 | Mechano-therapy appliances | $487,044,000 | +6.4% |
| 19 | Fresh or chilled beef | $387,588,000 | +23.9% |
| 20 | Crude oil | $423,291,000 | -9.5% |
| 21 | Albumin | $273,445,000 | +20.4% |
| 22 | Chemical woodpulp (non-dissolving) | $304,988,000 | +1% |
| 23 | Moluscs | $295,145,000 | -0.2% |
| 24 | Natural honey | $250,717,000 | +12.1% |
| 25 | Wool (uncarded, uncombed) | $286,639,000 | -2% |
| 26 | Whole fish (frozen) | $259,697,000 | +8.1% |
| 27 | Phone system devices | $273,289,000 | -3.7% |
| 28 | Fish fillets, pieces | $228,717,000 | +0.9% |
| 29 | Animal guts, bladders, stomachs | $204,488,000 | +10.7% |
| 30 | Iron or steel scrap | $223,563,000 | +0.04% |
| 31 | Piston engines | $107,797,000 | +103.3% |
| 32 | Crustaceans (including lobsters) | $275,434,000 | -22.3% |
| 33 | Red meat offal | $208,315,000 | +2% |
| 34 | Blood fractions (including antisera) | $225,012,000 | -7.9% |
| 35 | Miscellaneous animal feed preparations | $230,043,000 | -10.6% |
| 36 | Miscellaneous meat (preserved/prepared) | $150,509,000 | +16% |
| 37 | Sowing seeds, fruits, spores | $188,374,000 | -9.4% |
| 38 | Ligneous fiberboard | $165,498,000 | +0.6% |
| 39 | Non-alcoholic drinks (not water/juice/milk) | $200,138,000 | -26% |
| 40 | Electrical converters/power units | $151,241,000 | -2.1% |
| 41 | Medication mixes in dosage | $138,463,000 | +5.2% |
| 42 | Chocolate, other cocoa preparations | $126,101,000 | +13.7% |
| 43 | Bread, biscuits, cakes, pastries | $127,592,000 | +11.7% |
| 44 | Whole fish (fresh) | $138,276,000 | +2.3% |
| 45 | Miscellaneous meat | $122,360,000 | +11.3% |
| 46 | Iron ores, concentrates | $124,544,000 | +7.1% |
| 47 | Aircraft or spacecraft parts | $65,540,000 | +96.7% |
| 48 | Aluminum waste, scrap | $97,671,000 | +25.2% |
| 49 | Inedible meat flour | $122,178,000 | -2.4% |
| 50 | Buttermilk, cream, yogurt | $123,047,000 | -3.2% |
| 51 | Miscellaneous engines, motors | $87,410,000 | +23.9% |
| 52 | Coated paper | $92,379,000 | +9.7% |
| 53 | Cars | $97,943,000 | -0.3% |
| 54 | Bovine, sheep or goat fats | $72,657,000 | +30.7% |
| 55 | Miscellaneous animal products | $93,668,000 | -0.2% |
| 56 | Peptones | $86,346,000 | +7.7% |
| 57 | Mechanical woodpulp | $31,969,000 | +190.6% |
| 58 | Automobile parts/accessories | $82,049,000 | +9.8% |
| 59 | Frozen vegetables | $107,488,000 | -19.2% |
| 60 | Computers, optical readers | $90,156,000 | -3.9% |
| 61 | Onions, garlic, leeks | $100,227,000 | -14.8% |
| 62 | Dishwashing, clean/dry/fill machines | $71,884,000 | +18.7% |
| 63 | Plastic packing goods, lids, caps | $74,298,000 | +11.1% |
| 64 | Electro-medical equip (e.g. xrays) | $88,348,000 | -8.6% |
| 65 | Aircraft, spacecraft | $114,530,000 | -31.8% |
| 66 | Temperature-change machines | $104,593,000 | -28.8% |
| 67 | Live horses, mules | $92,385,000 | -20.5% |
| 68 | Magnets including electro-magnets | $84,593,000 | -14.1% |
| 69 | Copper waste, scrap | $67,248,000 | +7.2% |
| 70 | Beauty/makeup/skin care preparations | $65,809,000 | +7.1% |
| 71 | Mixed condiments, sauces | $73,419,000 | -6.4% |
| 72 | Apricots, cherries, peaches, nectarines, plums | $58,230,000 | +17.7% |
| 73 | Other prepared/preserved vegetables (frozen) | $55,697,000 | +14.3% |
| 74 | Yachts, other pleasure/sports vessels | $61,810,000 | +2.5% |
| 75 | Electrical machinery | $51,834,000 | +21.2% |
| 76 | Dates/figs/pineapples/mangoes/avocadoes/guavas | $60,445,000 | +0.1% |
| 77 | Fruit and vegetable juices | $49,869,000 | +20.1% |
| 78 | Sugar confectionery (no cocoa) | $58,432,000 | -0.1% |
| 79 | Agricultural, forestry machinery | $58,946,000 | -1.5% |
| 80 | Flat-rolled iron or non-alloy steel products (plated/coated) | $49,648,000 | +15.6% |
| 81 | Miscellaneous plastic items | $60,986,000 | -7.6% |
| 82 | Plastic tableware, kitchenware, toiletry | $66,510,000 | -19.9% |
| 83 | Solid-form sugars, fructose, glucose, lactose | $37,397,000 | +40.5% |
| 84 | Jewelry | $57,595,000 | -9.4% |
| 85 | Fuel wood, wood chips, sawdust | $46,883,000 | +10.7% |
| 86 | Machinery parts | $54,979,000 | -6.5% |
| 87 | Ivory, tortoiseshell, whalebone | $50,116,000 | +1.8% |
| 88 | Carboxylic acids | $41,848,000 | +19.2% |
| 89 | Edible ice, ice cream | $54,915,000 | -10.4% |
| 90 | Shaped wood | $48,550,000 | +0.6% |
| 91 | Orthopedic appliances | $47,889,000 | +1.7% |
| 92 | Other prepared/preserved vegetables (non-frozen) | $60,810,000 | -19.9% |
| 93 | Miscellaneous fresh/chilled vegetables | $49,833,000 | -4.5% |
| 94 | Dairy machinery, milking machines | $49,208,000 | -3.4% |
| 95 | Solar power diodes/semi-conductors | $40,924,000 | +13.3% |
| 96 | Physical/chemical analysis tools | $44,289,000 | +4.4% |
| 97 | Aluminum containers | $42,724,000 | +5.4% |
| 98 | Lifting/loading machinery | $55,387,000 | -18.9% |
| 99 | Bovine/equine rawhides, skins | $56,727,000 | -21.1% |
| 100 | Dairy machinery, milking machines | $47,592,000 | -6% |
These 100 exported goods were worth a subtotal of US$41.6 billion or 89.4% by value for all products exported from New Zealand during 2025.
Products Generating the Greatest Trade Surpluses
The following types of New Zealand product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.
In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.
- Dairy, eggs, honey: US$14.2 billion (Up by 15.6% since 2024)
- Meat: $5.7 billion (Up by 16.2%)
- Fruits, nuts: $3.2 billion (Up by 25.9%)
- Wood: $2.6 billion (Up by 3.6%)
- Cereal/milk preparations: $1.2 billion (Up by 3.7%)
- Modified starches, glues, enzymes: $1.09 billion (Up by 5.4%)
- Fish: $1.05 billion (Down by -4%)
- Beverages, spirits, vinegar: $982.7 million (Up by 0.3%)
- Gems, precious metals: $736 million (Up by 58.5%)
- Aluminum: $613.4 million (Up by 18.5%)
New Zealand has highly positive net exports in the international trade of agricultural products. In turn, these cashflows indicate New Zealand’s strong competitive advantages under the dairy, eggs and honey category–particularly for milk, cream, butter and cheese.
Products Causing the Biggest Trade Deficits
New Zealand incurred a -US$951.9 million trade deficit for 2025, shrinking by -78.7% from -$4.5 billion in red ink in 2024.
Below are exports from New Zealand that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country New Zealand’s goods trail the island country’s import purchases.
- Machinery including computers: -US$5.5 billion (Up by 7.5% since 2022)
- Mineral fuels including oil: -$5.3 billion (Down by -8.9%)
- Vehicles: -$4.9 billion (Down by -1.2%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: -$3.6 billion (Up by 7.2%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: -$1.2 billion (Down by -2.4%)
- Pharmaceuticals: -$1.1 billion (Up by 4.6%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: -$930.4 million (Up by 10.4%)
- Food industry waste, animal fodder: -$775.7 million (Up by 19.9%)
- Furniture, bedding, lighting , signs, prefab buildings: -$762.3 million (Down by -4%)
- Fertilizers: -$684.2 million (Up by 31.2%)
New Zealand has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits notably for machinery, refined petroleum oils, petroleum gases and petroleum coke.
These cashflow deficiencies clearly indicate New Zealand’s competitive disadvantages on international markets for mineral fuels including oil.
Major New Zealand Export Companies
The NZX50 Index is the main stock market index for New Zealand. Based on that index, the following companies are among leading stock companies in New Zealand that have the highest capitalization values.
- The a2 Milk Company Limited (dairy products)
- Steel & Tube Holdings Limited (building materials)
- Nuplex Industries Limited (resins for decorative/industrial/protective coatings)
- Coats Group PLC (sewing supplies, zippers, fasteners)
- Kathmandu Holdings Limited (outdoor clothing, equipment)
- Mainfreight Limited (logistics, transportation)
- Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (financial services)
In macroeconomic terms, New Zealand’s total exported goods represent 15.6% of its overall Gross Domestic Product for 2025 ($298.9 billion valued in Purchasing Power Parity US dollars). That 15.6% for exports to overall GDP in PPP for 2025 compares to 15% for 2024. Those percentages suggest a relatively increasing reliance on products sold on international markets for New Zealand’s total economic performance, albeit based on a short timeframe.
Another key indicator of a country’s economic performance is its unemployment rate. New Zealand’s unemployment rate averaged 5.337% for 2025, up from the average 4.725% jobless rate one year earlier according to International Monetary Fund statistics.
See also New Zealand’s Top Trading Partners, New Zealand’s Top 10 Imports and Top Oceanian Export Countries
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World FactbookCountry Profiles. Accessed on February 14, 2026
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on February 14, 2026
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on February 14, 2026
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on February 14, 2026
Richest Country Reports, Key Statistics Powering Global Wealth. Accessed on February 14, 2026
Wikipedia, Gross domestic product. Accessed on February 14, 2026
Wikipedia, List of companies of New Zealand. Accessed on February 14, 2026
Wikipedia, NZX 50 Index. Accessed on February 14, 2026
Wikipedia, Purchasing power parity. Accessed on February 14, 2026
X-rates.com, Exchange Rates: New Zealand Dollar to US Dollar (monthly average 2025). Accessed on February 14, 2026