The trusted voice of the industry
for more than 30 years

Used car imports increase

Activity for used commercials also soars, while Korea closes in on Japan as the main source for new car imports.
Posted on 03 December, 2021
Used car imports increase

There were 9,628 used passenger vehicles imported into New Zealand during November. 

That brought the year-to-date aggregate to 119,586, which is up by 23.9 per cent compared to 96,525 by this time last year.

November’s total included 9,176 cars coming in from Japan, which claimed a market share of 95.31 per cent, according to the figures from Customs NZ. This was a 3.4 per cent increase compared to 8,872 in the same month of last year.

Next up in November was Australia with 189 units and 1.96 per cent of the monthly total. Singapore claimed third place with 96, and was followed by the US on 81 and the UK with 63.

Last month’s overall total was 0.8 per cent higher than the 9,553 units imported in November 2020, and up 9.1 per cent from October this year when 8,823 units crossed our borders.

As for used light commercials, there were 539 imports in November – an 81.5 per cent increase from just 297 units a year ago. 

Last month’s figure was also 51.4 per cent higher than the 356 units imported in October 2021.

It took the year-to-date total to 4,317, which is 76 units, or 1.7 per cent, lower than at the same stage of 2020 when it stood at 4,393.

New imports up

There were 8,121 new passenger vehicles imported in November, which represented an 8.5 per cent increase from the 7,483 units in the same month of last year. 

However, the monthly tally was down 35.5 per cent from October 2021 when 12,581 new cars crossed our borders.

Japan was the main country of export with 2,869 units but was only marginally ahead of Korea’s 2,849. Next up was Thailand on 641, China with 334, Belgium with 192 and France on 186.

Year to date, the total now stands at 108,359 and is 39,910 units, or 58.3 per cent, more than at the same stage of 2020.

For new light commercials, there were 2,560 units imported last month, an increase of 25 per cent from November 2020. However, the figure dropped 16 per cent from 3,049 units in October this year.

In the first 11 months of the year there have been 34,427 new light commercials come into the country, 14,238 more than at the same stage a year ago.

Overall, 21,453 vehicles, including trucks and buses, crossed our border in November, which was down from 25,461 the previous month.