Vehicle imports in decline

There were 88,242 used cars imported into New Zealand during 2024, a drop of 23.8 per cent when compared with 115,753 in 2023. 

The total included 86,033 from Japan – down 24.2 per cent from 113,462, according to figures from New Zealand Customs. 

Meanwhile, Australia was the source for 1,319 units, up 4.4 per cent from the previous year’s total, and next was Singapore on 255, an increase of two per cent.

During December, 6,650 units crossed our wharves. This was a decrease of 14.4 per cent from 7,768 in the same month of 2023.

Monthly arrivals from Japan came in at 6,470. This was down from 7,563 in the same month of the previous year for a fall of 24.2 per cent.

In addition, 119 used cars were imported from Australia during December and 47 arrived from the UK. The totals for Singapore and the US were 22 and 17 respectively.

As for used light commercials, imports fell by 22.3 per cent to 3,415 in 2024. This compared with 4,395 such units during the year prior.

On a monthly basis, the number of units entering the country fell 25.7 per cent from 304 a year earlier to 226 in December 2024.

Japan main source

There were 88,048 new passenger vehicles imported in 2024, a decrease of 10.4 per cent from the previous year’s tally of 98,267.

Of these, 41,140 came from Japan and 11,421 from South Korea. Other key markets for sourcing cars were Thailand with 11,424, China on 6,914 units, Belgium with 4,085 and Germany on 3,339.

The total for December was 6,949, which was 6.5 per cent lower than the 7,435 units in the same month a year earlier.

Japan supplied 3,687 new cars in December, with a further 704 shipped from China, 689 from South Korea and 547 from Thailand.

New light commercials tallied 21,565 last year, which was down 13.8 per cent from 25,029 in 2023. 

In December, 1,599 such units crossed our wharves – a decrease of 27.3 per cent from 2,199 in the same month a year earlier.

Overall, 206,926 vehicles, including trucks and buses, crossed our border last year, a decrease of 17.5 per cent from 250,690 in 2023. The latest total included 15,863 units in December.