According to the Business NZ Survey published on late Wednesday evening, the Business NZ performance of manufacturing index (PMI) for New Zealand climbed to 56.5 in April from 54.7 in March.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion in the manufacturing sector.

The increase was driven by rises in in production and new orders.

"The proportion of positive comments also remained above 60%, while comments centered on general market growth and increased orders, particularly from offshore. Overall, the April result represents another solid month for the sector," Business NZ's executive director for manufacturing, Catherine Beard, said.