Import figures slip lower
There were 5,071 used passenger vehicles imported last month, a drop of 18.1 per cent from August when 6,193 units crossed our borders.
September’s figure marked the third consecutive month of declines and was also down by 57.9 per cent from 12,052 units in the same month of 2023.
The year-to-date total for 2024 is now 69,905 – down 22.2 per cent compared with 89,835 at the same time last year, according to the figures from Customs NZ.
Last month, 4,895 units were imported from Japan for a 96.5 per cent share of the market. Australia was next with 115 units, followed by the UK on 27 and the US with 21.
As for used light commercials, 246 crossed the border in September to bring the year-to-date total to 2,787. That figure is down by 15.3 per cent from 3,291 by the same time last year.
Last month’s figure was 6.1 per cent lower than the 262 units imported in August this year and down 41 per cent from 417 in September 2023.
New-vehicle market
As for new passenger vehicles, there were 6,954 units brought into New Zealand last month.
September’s tally means 66,102 vehicles have come in so far in 2024, which is a decrease of 8.5 per cent on the 72,249 units over the same period a year ago.
Last month’s figure was down by 3.5 per cent from August when the monthly total was 7,205 new cars, and it was also 30.7 per cent lower than the 10,030 units in September 2023.
Japan was the main country of export with 2,872 units followed by South Korea with 1,210. Next up was Belgium on 808, Germany with 660, China on 393 and Thailand with 307.
For new light commercials, there were 911 units imported in September, a drop of 41.8 per cent from 1,564 in the same month a year ago.
The total was also down 46.8 per cent from the 1,714 units in August this year.
It took the year-to-date figure to 15,855 units, which is 20 per cent fewer than the 19,808 recorded over the same period of 2023.
Overall, 13,546 vehicles, including trucks and buses, crossed our border in September. This was down from 15,785 in the previous month.
