The United States has overtaken Australia to become New Zealand’s second-largest export destination, with total exports reaching a record $9 billion in 2024, according to newly released figures from Stats NZ.
“Although the US is our second largest export partner, New Zealand ranks outside the top 50 countries from which the US purchases goods,” Stats NZ international accounts spokesperson Viki Ward says.
China remains New Zealand’s largest export partner.
New Zealand’s exports to the US accounted for 12 percent of total export value in 2024, up from 9.4 percent a decade ago.
“Over the past decade, the value of exports to the US has nearly doubled. This is driven by US purchases of NZ meat, which now make up 3.7 percent of our total exports,” Ward says.
Meat exports to the US in 2024 surged to $2.6 billion, marking a 17 percent increase from 2023 and surpassing China’s $2.1 billion, which saw a 32 percent decline.
“The quantity of meat exports to the US increased by 6.2 percent in 2024, with the largest change a 26 percent increase in sheep meat exports,” Ward says.
Chilled and frozen beef dominated meat exports to the US, valued at $1.8 billion, while sheep meat exports amounted to $626 million.
Dairy remained another key export sector, with the US purchasing $883 million worth of milk powder, butter, and cheese, alongside $338 million worth of casein.
The composition of dairy exports to the US differs from other major markets like China, which imports a greater proportion of milk powder.
Other major exports to the US in 2024 included $702 million worth of wine and $687 million of mechanical machinery and equipment, which includes agricultural machinery such as harvesting and grading machines, engines, and machine tools.
