NZ posts bigger-than-forecast trade surplus in February, helped by drilling equipment

NZ posts bigger-than-forecast trade surplus in February, helped by drilling equipment
Tina Morrison
By Tina Morrison March 24 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand posted a bigger trade surplus than expected in February, as exports were bolstered by a $267 million drilling platform. Statistics New Zealand said the country had a merchandise trade surplus of $339 million in February, compared with expectations for a $50 million surplus in a Reuters poll of economists. The data included the export of a large drilling platform, and excluding that item the surplus was $72 million, the agency said. The latest data compares with a $13 million surplus i...