Highlights
For the month of August 2008 compared with August 2007 unless otherwise stated:
- Merchandise exports rose 34.1 percent ($906 million) to $3.6 billion – the highest value for any August month.
- While the exports trend continued to grow in recent months, it has eased compared with the period of strong growth in the second half of 2007.
- Milk powder, butter and cheese (up $210 million) led the increase for exports closely followed by crude oil (up $190 million).
- Merchandise imports were up $709 million (19.6 percent) to $4.3 billion.
- Petroleum and products (up $329 million) led the increase for imports with crude oil the main contributor.
- The monthly trade balance was a deficit of $750 million – the smallest August deficit in dollar terms since 2004.
- As a percentage of exports, the trade deficit for the year ended August 2008 (10.3 percent of exports) was the smallest since August 2003.
Geoff Bascand
Government Statistician |
29 September 2008
ISSN 1178-0320 |
See also Overseas Merchandise Trade: August 2008 – Media release.
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