Browse Data and Analysis

New Zealand is an important market in the Pacific for U.S. agricultural products. In 2020, despite logistical and other challenges as a result of COVID-19, New Zealand’s imports continued strong and included US$ 575 million of U.S. agricultural products.

There have been no recent significant official changes to the genetically engineered (GE) policies established by the New Zealand government.

The same problems that beset apple production in 2020/2021, especially harvest labor shortages, could persist into 2021/2022.

Following an exceptional milk production year in 2021 (and especially the first half of the year), FAS/Wellington is forecasting milk production to fall slightly in 2022.

Although New Zealand has been less impacted by COVID-19 than most countries around the world, it has still had a major effect on the Hotel, Restaurant, Institutional (HRI) sector.

Global lentil exports in 2020 jumped from $1 billion to $2.6 billion compared to the year before. Canada and Australia led the surge, accounting for more than three-fourths of the exports. Lentil exports peaked at $2.7 billion in 2015 but drifted lower through 2019, primarily due to reduced shipments from Canada to India and Turkey and from the United States to Canada and India.

New Zealand beef production is forecast to fall slightly in 2022, following two straight years of record production.

This report lists the major export certificates and other documentation required by the Government of New Zealand for U.S. exporters and food and agricultural products.

New Zealand has strict biosecurity rules for plant and animal products but also imports large volumes of food and beverage products.

U.S. food and agricultural products have continued to prove popular in the New Zealand market, and in 2020 the value of these products was US$ 575 million, US$ 407 million of which were consumer-oriented products.

The New Zealand Government is proposing to introduce a sustainably-produced biofuels mandate for transport fuels in New Zealand.

Despite its small size, New Zealand is already an important market for alcoholic beverages and ingredients from the United States.