Year over year, the overall cost for products imported into New Zealand flatlined, up 1.3% from $46.9 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 made its imports paid for in stronger US dollars relatively more expensive when converted starting from the New Zealand dollar.
At the more detailed 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, New Zealand’s most valuable imported products are processed petroleum oils, cars, turbo-jets, phone devices including smartphones, computers, medication mixes in dosage, trucks, electro-medical equipment including xrays, miscellaneous food preparations, then miscellaneous oil cakes.
Collectively, that leading cohort generated over a third (34.3%) of New Zealand’s total spending on imported goods for 2025.
Domestically, New Zealanders faced a 2.013% inflation rate for 2025 down from an average 2.923% in 2024.
Best Suppliers for New Zealand’s Imports
The latest available country-specific data shows that 78.9% of products exported from New Zealand was furnished by exporters in: mainland China (22.3% of New Zealand’s total), Australia (10.7%), United States of America (10.5%), South Korea (6.8%), Japan (5.2%), Singapore (5%), Germany (4.3%), Thailand (3.8%), Malaysia (3.5%), Vietnam (2.31%), United Kingdom (also 2.31%) and Italy (2%).
From a continental perspective, 56.7% of New Zealand’s total imports by value in 2025 were purchased from Asian countries. Trade partners located in Europe supplied 17.6% of import purchases by New Zealand. Meanwhile 12.4% worth of goods originated from North America.
Suppliers located in fellow Oceanian nations led by Australia accounted for another 11.2% of New Zealand’s spending on imported products.
Smaller percentages were the 1.4% portion from sellers in Latin America (excluding Mexico) and the Caribbean, then the 0.7% from exporters in Africa.
Given New Zealand’s population of 5.4 million people, its total US$47.5 billion in 2025 imports translates to roughly $8,800 in yearly product demand from every person in the Pacific Ocean island country. That per-capita amount exceeds the average $8,750 for 2024.
New Zealand’s Top 10 Imports
The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in New Zealand’s import purchases during 2025. Also shown is the percentage share each product category represents in terms of overall imports into New Zealand.
- Machinery including computers: US$7 billion (14.7% of total imports)
- Mineral fuels including oil: $5.8 billion (12.1%)
- Vehicles: $5.2 billion (10.9%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $4.6 billion (9.6%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $1.8 billion (3.8%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $1.6 billion (3.3%)
- Pharmaceuticals: $1.5 billion (3.1%)
- Food industry waste, animal fodder: $1.1 billion (2.3%)
- Aircraft, spacecraft: $849.3 million (1.8%)
- Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefab buildings: $835.6 million (1.8%)
New Zealand’s top 10 import product categories generated nearly two-thirds (64.4%) of the overall value of New Zealander product purchases from other countries.
Imported food industry waste and animal fodder posted the strongest growth in value among New Zealand’s top 10 import categories, thanks to a 10.1% increase from 2024 to 2025.
In second place was the optical, technical and medical apparatus category (up 7.8%).
The third-strongest advance was the 6.2% upturn for machinery including computers.
The worst year-over-year decliners were for New Zealander imports of aircraft and spacecraft (down -30.3% from 2024) then mineral fuels including oil (down -9%).
Please note that the results listed above are at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level. Information presented below is at the more granular 4-digit level.
New Zealand’s Main Machinery Imports
In 2025, New Zealand importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machinery including computers.
- Turbo-jets: US$1.8 billion (up 18.6% from 2024)
- Computers, optical readers: $1.1 billion (up 3.8%)
- Taps, valves, similar appliances: $232 million (up 9.2%)
- Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $220.1 million (up 13%)
- Refrigerators, freezers: $203.7 million (up 3.6%)
- Heavy machinery (bulldozers, excavators, road rollers): $195.4 million (up 8.9%)
- Air conditioners: $179.7 million (up 4.5%)
- Liquid pumps and elevators: $169.9 million (down -4.2%)
- Miscellaneous machinery: $155.7 million (down -34.6%)
- Machinery parts: $152.1 million (down -6.3%)
Among these import subcategories, New Zealand’s purchases of turbo-jets (up 18.6%), centrifuges, filters and purifiers (up 13%) then taps, valves or similar appliances (up 9.2%) grew at the fastest pace from 2024 to 2025.
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 Mineral Fuels Imports
In 2025, New Zealand importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of mineral fuels-related products.
- Processed petroleum oils: US$5.5 billion (down -8.9% from 2024)
- Petroleum oil residues: $109 million (down -15%)
- Petroleum gases: $65 million (up 26.2%)
- Asphalt/petroleum bitumen mixes: $33.1 million (down -27.8%)
- Petroleum jelly, mineral waxes: $6 million (down -6.2%)
- Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $5.1 million (down -54.4%)
- Natural bitumen, asphalt, shale: $2.1 million (up 16.1%)
- Peat: $2.1 million (down -37.3%)
- Coal tar oils (high temperature distillation): $702,000 (down -14.8%)
- Coke, semi-coke: $145,000 (down -92.3%)
Among these import subcategories, New Zealand’s purchases of petroleum gases (up 26.2%) then natural bitumen, asphalt and shale (up 16.1%) grew from 2024 to 2025.
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 Vehicles Imports
In 2025, New Zealand importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of vehicles.
- Cars: US$3.1 billion (up 1% from 2024)
- Trucks: $935.9 million (down -9.2%)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $362.2 million (down -2.7%)
- Tractors: $190.3 million (up 3.5%)
- Trailers: $180.3 million (down -5.8%)
- Motorcycles: $101.4 million (down -8.9%)
- Public-transport vehicles: $92.4 million (up 56%)
- Motorcycle parts/accessories: $44.5 million (up 8.6%)
- Bicycles, other non-motorized cycles: $36.2 million (up 39.8%)
- Special purpose vehicles: $35.6 million (down -22.7%)
Among these import subcategories, New Zealand’s purchases of public-transport vehicles (up 56%), bicycles or other non-motorized cycles (up 39.8%) then motorcycle parts or accessories (up 8.6%) grew at the fastest pace from 2024 to 2025.
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 Electronics Imports
In 2025, New Zealand importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of electrical goods including consumer electronics.
- Phone devices including smartphones: US$1.3 billion (up 2.2% from 2024)
- Electrical converters/power units: $304 million (down -0.3%)
- Insulated wire/cable: $265.7 million (up 4.4%)
- Electric storage batteries: $257.2 million (up 35.6%)
- Electric water heaters, hair dryers: $240.5 million (up 4.2%)
- TV receivers/monitors/projectors: $228.1 million (down -4.5%)
- Microphones/headphones/amps: $213.7 million (up 4.9%)
- Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $184.6 million (up 4%)
- Electrical machinery: $146.4 million (down -4.7%)
- Electrical/optical circuit boards, panels: $142.3 million (down -4.3%)
Among these import subcategories, New Zealand’s purchases of electric storage batteries (up 35.6%), microphones, headphones or amplifiers (up 4.9%) then insulated wire or cable (up 4.4%) grew at the fastest pace from 2024 to 2025.
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 February 26, 2026
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on February 26, 2026
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on February 26, 2026
Wikipedia, List of companies of New Zealand. Accessed on February 26, 2026
X-rates.com, Exchange Rates: New Zealand Dollar to US Dollar (monthly average 2025). Accessed on February 26, 2026