NZ imports rise to record high in 2015 as kiwi dollar declines

NZ imports rise to record high in 2015 as kiwi dollar declines
Tina Morrison
By Tina Morrison Jan. 28 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand imports rose to a record high last year as a decline in the value of the currency pushed up values. The country's imports increased 2.5 percent to $52.53 billion compared with the year earlier, according to data from Statistics New Zealand. Annual exports slid 2.2 percent to $49 billion. The annual trade deficit widened to $3.55 billion from $1.18 billion in 2014, and the widest for a calendar year since 2008, the agency said. The New Zealand dollar slipped about 12 percent against...