Car import figures stable

There were 6,745 used passenger vehicles imported last month, an increase of one per cent from January when 6,679 units crossed our borders.

February’s figure was the second rise in a row for the figures but it was still down by 9.5 per cent from 7,457 units in the same month a year ago.

The year-to-date total for 2025 is now 13,424 – down 13.8 per cent compared with 15,574 at the same time last year, according to the latest figures from Customs NZ. 

Last month, 6,536 units were imported from Japan for a 96.9 per cent share of the market. Australia was next with 138 units, followed by the UK on 29 and the US with 23. 

As for used light commercials, 189 crossed the border in February to bring the year-to-date total to 357. That figure is down by 46.4 per cent from 666 at the same time last year.

Last month’s figure alone was up 12.5 per cent from the 168 units imported in January this year but down 37.2 per cent from 301 in February 2024.

New-vehicle market

As for new passenger vehicles, there were 5,937 units brought into New Zealand last month. 

February’s tally means 11,799 vehicles have come in so far in 2025, which is a 22 per cent decrease from the 7,608 units for the same period a year ago.

Last month’s figure was up by 1.3 per cent from January this year when the monthly total was 5,862 new cars. 

However, it was 22 per cent lower than the 7,608 units imported in February 2024.

Japan was the main country of export with 2,862 units followed by China with 823. Next up was South Korea on 622, Thailand with 576, the US on 257 and Belgium with 143.

For new light commercials, there were 2,111 units imported in February, down 4.8 per cent from 2,217 in January this year.

The latest monthly total was also down by 29.8 per cent from 3,378 in February 2024.

It took the year-to-date figure to 4,328 units, which is 1.5 per cent fewer than the 4,395 recorded over the same period a year ago.

Overall, 15,394 vehicles, including trucks and buses, crossed our border in February. This was up from 15,195 in the previous month.