Year over year, the overall cost for products imported into New Zealand rose 9.6% from $49.6 billion in 2021.
Based on the average exchange rate for 2022, the New Zealand dollar depreciated by -9.1% against the US dollar since 2018 and fell by -11.6% from 2021 to 2022. New Zealand’s weaker local currency made its imports paid for in stronger US dollars relatively more expensive when converted starting from the New Zealand dollar.
Among New Zealand’s most valuable imported products are processed petroleum oils, cars, trucks, phone devices including smartphones, and computers. Collectively, that leading quintet accounted for one-quarter (24.8%) of New Zealand’s total spending on imported goods for 2022.
Best Suppliers for New Zealand’s Imports
The latest available country-specific data shows that 70.8% of products imported into New Zealand were supplied by exporters in: mainland China (35.6% of New Zealand’s global total), Australia (7.5%), United States of America (5.2%), South Korea (5.1%), Japan (4%), Singapore (2.8%), Germany (2.7%), Thailand (2.2%), Malaysia (also 2.2%), United Kingdom (1.8%), Italy (1.7%) and Vietnam (1.3%).
From a continental perspective, 58.2% of New Zealand’s total imports by value in 2022 were purchased from Asian countries. Trade partners in Europe supplied 17.4% of import purchases by New Zealand while 11.4% worth of goods originated from fellow Oceanian nations led by Australia.
North American suppliers accounted for another 11% of New Zealand’s spending on imported products.
Smaller percentages were the 1.4% portion from Latin America (excluding Mexico) and the Caribbean, then the 0.7% from exporters in Africa.
Given New Zealand’s population of 5.1 million people, its total $54.4 billion in 2022 imports translates to roughly $10,600 in yearly product demand from every person in the Pacific Ocean island country. That per-capita amount exceeds the average $9,700 for 2021.
New Zealand’s Top 10 Imports
The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in New Zealand’s import purchases during 2022. Also shown is the percentage share each product category represents in terms of overall imports into New Zealand.
- Machinery including computers: US$7.3 billion (13.4% of total imports)
- Vehicles: $7.2 billion (13.2%)
- Mineral fuels including oil: $6.2 billion (11.5%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $4.7 billion (8.6%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $2 billion (3.7%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $1.7 billion (3.1%)
- Pharmaceuticals: $1.7 billion (3.1%)
- Food industry waste, animal fodder: $1.25 billion (2.3%)
- Articles of iron or steel: $1.22 billion (2.2%)
- Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefabricated buildings: $1.1 billion (2%)
New Zealand’s top 10 imports accounted for 63.2% of the overall value of its product purchases from other countries.
Imported mineral fuels including oil posted the fastest-growing increase in value among New Zealand’s top 10 import categories thanks to a 58.8% increase from 2021 to 2022.
In second place were imported food industry waste and animal fodder (up 27.8%) trailed by pharmaceuticals via its 17.8% gain year over year.
The worst decline was the -3.6% drop from 2021 for New Zealand’s imports under the furniture, bedding, lighting, signs and prefabricated buildings product category.
Please note that the results listed above are at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level. Information presented under other virtual folder tabs is at the more granular 4-digit level.
New Zealand’s Main Machinery Imports
In 2022, New Zealand importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machinery including computers.
- Computers, optical readers: US$1.1 billion (down -5.9% from 2021)
- Turbo-jets: $959.2 million (up 24.7%)
- Heavy machinery (bulldozers, excavators, road rollers): $500.1 million (up 4.4%)
- Taps, valves, similar appliances: $250 million (up 4.5%)
- Air conditioners: $243.2 million (down -8.8%)
- Machinery parts: $241.3 million (up 27%)
- Harvest/threshing machinery: $239.5 million (up 14.7%)
- Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $233.5 million (up 4%)
- Refrigerators, freezers: $232.7 million (up 0.6%)
- Miscellaneous machinery: $218.2 million (up 21.3%)
Among these import subcategories, New Zealand’s purchases of machinery parts (up 27%), turbo-jets (up 24.7%) then miscellaneous machinery (up 21.3%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of machinery-related imports including computers among New Zealand businesses and consumers.
New Zealand’s Main Vehicles Imports
In 2022, New Zealand importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of vehicles.
- Cars: US$4.3 billion (up 0.01% from 2021)
- Trucks: $1.4 billion (down -7.7%)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $429.1 million (down -3.7%)
- Tractors: $344.7 million (up 9.7%)
- Trailers: $269.4 million (up 13.9%)
- Motorcycles: $233.9 million (up 12.5%)
- Bicycles, other non-motorized cycles: $83.4 million (up 38.5%)
- Motorcycle parts/accessories: $60.5 million (up 6.4%)
- Special purpose vehicles: $49.9 million (up 0.4%)
- Public-transport vehicles: $43.1 million (down -1%)
Among these import subcategories, New Zealand’s purchases of bicycles plus other non-motorized cycles (up 38.5%), trailers (up 13.9%) then motorcycles (up 12.5%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of vehicles-related imports among New Zealand businesses and consumers.
New Zealand’s Main Mineral Fuels Imports
In 2022, New Zealand importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of mineral fuels-related products.
- Processed petroleum oils: US$5.4 billion (up 199.4% from 2021)
- Crude oil: $563.8 million (down -71%)
- Petroleum oil residues: $194 million (up 65.7%)
- Petroleum gases: $42.5 million (up 12.3%)
- Asphalt/petroleum bitumen mixes: $17.5 million (up 32%)
- Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $11.3 million (up 51.3%)
- Petroleum jelly, mineral waxes: $10.2 million (up 33.5%)
- Coke, semi-coke: $4.5 million (up 1,787%)
- Natural bitumen, asphalt, shale: $4.4 million (up 288.8%)
- Peat: $3.1 million (down -42.8%)
Among these import subcategories, New Zealand’s purchases of coke and semi-coke (up 1,787%), natural bitumen, asphalt and shale (up 288.8%) then processed petroleum oils (up 199.4%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of mineral fuels-related imports among New Zealand businesses and consumers.
New Zealand’s Main Electronics Imports
In 2022, New Zealand importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of electrical goods including consumer electronics.
- Phone devices including smartphones: US$1.4 billion (up 4% from 2021)
- TV receivers/monitors/projectors: $318.3 million (down -4.4%)
- Insulated wire/cable: $317.1 million (down -2.8%)
- Electric water heaters, hair dryers: $263.4 million (down -3.7%)
- Electrical converters/power units: $263.2 million (up 23.8%)
- Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $200.2 million (down -4.5%)
- Microphones/headphones/amps: $200.2 million (up 1.2%)
- Electrical machinery: $149.5 million (up 5.9%)
- TV receiver/transmit/digital cameras: $138.9 million (up 9.8%)
- Electric storage batteries: $125.8 million (up 27.3%)
Among these import subcategories, New Zealand’s purchases of electric storage batteries (up 27.3%), electrical converters or power units (up 23.8%), then television receivers, transmitters and digital cameras (up 9.8%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of electronics-related imports among New Zealand businesses and consumers.
See also New Zealand’s Top Trade Partners, New Zealand’s Top 10 Exports and Top Oceanian Export Countries
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World FactbookCountry Profiles. Accessed on April 4, 2023
International Monetary Fund, Exchange Rates selected indicators (National Currency per U.S. dollar, period average). Accessed on April 4, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on April 4, 2023
Wikipedia, List of companies of New Zealand. Accessed on April 4, 2023
