New Zealand is able to grow, the more that it exports as compared to imports. Our Dairy industry and primary industry leads the way in value of exports. Crude Oil continues to be a large export, despite us importing $2.9mil in the Dec 2009 year.
| New Zealand’s Top 10 Exports (millions of NZ dollars) | YE Dec 2008 | YE Dec 2009 |
| Milk powder | 4,864.7 | 4,302.4 |
| Sheep meat | 2,732.2 | 2,896.5 |
| Crude oil | 2,769.1 | 1,726.2 |
| Frozen beef | 1,641.7 | 1,555.9 |
| Butter | 1,701.4 | 1,511.0 |
| Cheese | 1,592.0 | 1,362.6 |
| Fruit | 993.3 | 1,058.0 |
| Wine | 903.3 | 1,013.9 |
| Confidential exports* | 1,176.6 | 1,004.8 |
| Wood | 711.4 | 952.4 |
| Total exports | 42,900.2 | 39,667.7 |