Chinese demand keeps driving up NZ exports

WELLINGTON, May 26 (Xinhua): China's demand for dairy products and timber drove a 14-per cent year-on-year rise in New Zealand's total goods exports last month, the government statistics agency said Monday.
Goods exports rose to 4.5 billion NZ dollars (US$3.84 billion) in April, led by a 36-per cent rise in exports of milk powder, butter and cheese, which were valued at 1.2 billion NZ dollars ($1.02 billion), according to Statistics New Zealand.
Quantities showed little change from April last year, up 1.6 per cent.
"Large price-driven increases in values this dairy season, compared with last, led to record total export values," international statistics manager Jason Attewell said in a statement.
"However, April 2014 is the first month since August 2013 where the export value was not a record for the month."
China was New Zealand's main export destination in April, with whole milk powder and pine logs driving up exports by 246 million NZ dollars ($210.11 million) or 38 per cent from April last year.
The value of good imported by New Zealand rose by five per cent to four billion NZ dollars ($3.42 billion), compared with April 2013, leaving the country with a trade surplus of 534 million NZ dollars ($456.29 million), or 12 per cent of exports.