WELLINGTON, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's imports from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) rose 15 percent to 16 billion NZ dollars (about 9.06 billion U.S. dollars) in the year to September, driven largely by higher fuel imports, official data showed on Monday.
The total was up 2.1 billion NZ dollars from the previous year, accounting for almost a fifth of New Zealand's total imports of 92 billion NZ dollars in the year to September, according to the national statistics agency Stats NZ.
New Zealand imports mostly refined fuels, including petrol, diesel and jet fuel. Fuel imports from ASEAN rose 30 percent year on year to 5.5 billion NZ dollars during the period, with Singapore contributing 4 billion NZ dollars and Malaysia 1.3 billion NZ dollars, Stats NZ said.
"Fuel imports from ASEAN contributed 42 percent of the total value of New Zealand fuel imports in the year ended September 2026," Stats NZ international accounts spokesperson Shanna Dilworth said in a statement.
The rising value of fuel imports over the period was predominantly driven by higher prices, the agency said.
Imports of mechanical machinery and equipment from ASEAN, including computers, jet engines, turbines and air-conditioners, rose 33 percent to 1.3 billion NZ dollars, while electrical machinery and equipment imports, including phones, transformers and insulation materials, grew 17 percent to 1.5 billion NZ dollars, statistics showed.
This reflects expanding manufacturing of products such as computers and phones in countries including Vietnam and Thailand, the statement said.
Meanwhile, New Zealand's exports to ASEAN rose 11 percent year on year to 9.6 billion NZ dollars in the year ending September 2026, led by dairy products, which increased 14 percent to 5.7 billion NZ dollars, the statement said, adding that Indonesia was the leading ASEAN destination for New Zealand dairy exports, with their value rising 16 percent to 1.5 billion NZ dollars.
ASEAN, comprising 11 member countries, was New Zealand's second-largest dairy export market after China, accounting for almost a quarter of New Zealand's total dairy export value during the period, Dilworth said. ■
