Milk powder, butter, and cheese leads exports rise:

• Goods exports rose $313 million (9.0 percent) to $3.8 billion.

• Milk powder, butter, and cheese had the largest rise of any export commodity group in September 2017, up $175 million (28 percent) to $791 million.

• Milk fats including butter led the rise in milk powder, butter, and cheese, up $62 million (43 percent) to $207 million, with quantity down 22 percent.

• Milk powder rose $58 million (20 percent) in value, with quantity down 15 percent.

• Milk and cream rose $44 million (118 percent) in value, and 41 percent in quantity.

• Fruit exports fell $69 million (30 percent) in value, and 38 percent in quantity.

• The fall in fruit exports was due to kiwifruit, down in both value ($70 million) and quantity (42 percent). However, for the September 2017 year, the value of kiwifruit exports rose $69 million (4.1 percent) from the previous year. The quantity of kiwifruit exports fell 2.0 percent over the same period.

The monthly trade balance was a deficit of $1.1 billion (30 percent of exports).

The average monthly deficit in September over the last five years was $980 million (28 percent of exports).