The arrival of more than half a billion NZ dollars worth of petroleum and products contributed toward a 13.5-percent increase in total New Zealand imports from April 2006, said Statistics New Zealand Thursday.

The imports hit 3.4 billion NZ dollars (2.5 billion U.S. dollars) for the month.

Total exports also rose in April 2007, up 5.2 percent on April 2006 to reach 3.2 billion NZ dollars (2.4 billion U.S. dollars), a record for an April month.

The rise in exports was led by a 36 million NZ dollars (27 million U.S. dollars) increase in kiwifruit. A stronger than normal start to its export season gave kiwifruit its highest value on record for an April month, said Statistics New Zealand.

Similar sized increases in value were also seen in exports of pine logs, and of milk powder, butter and cheese.

The monthly trade balance for April 2007 was a deficit of 212 million NZ dollars (157 million U.S. dollars), said Statistics New Zealand.

Source: Xinhua