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Commodity watch · updated Nov 13, 7:44 AM EST

New Zealand: commodities

For every crop USDA forecasts and every country that matters for it: USDA's crop outlook, the weather forecast over the main growing regions at the crop's stage, trade, prices and hedge funds' bets, and how much our sources are saying about it. A plain score from 0 to 100 says how much the supply looks at risk, and when the risk is real but the news is quiet, the watch raises a flag. Now: 800 cards for 62 commodities, 5 flagged.

Cheese

5· no cut expected
CropUSDA: 450,000 t in 2026, up 5.9% on last year, 2% of the world's
TradeExports 425,000 t, 12% of the world's; imports 15,000 t
NewsNo reports in our sources in the last 14 days
Why 5
  • +5 USDA expects a crop 6% bigger than last year's

Whole milk powder

0· no cut expected
CropUSDA: 1.4 million t in 2026, up 0.7% on last year, 32% of the world's
TradeExports 1.5 million t, 74% of the world's; imports 1,000 t
NewsNo reports in our sources in the last 14 days

Skim milk powder

0· no cut expected
CropUSDA: 450,000 t in 2026, down 0% on last year, 9% of the world's
TradeExports 435,000 t, 18% of the world's; imports 5,000 t

Cattle herds

0· no cut expected
CropUSDA: 5.1 million head in 2027, down 0% on last year, 2% of the world's
TradeNo exports or imports to speak of
MarketBeef $6.83/kg in October, down 0.4% on the month, down 3.7% on the year, the lowest since July 2025; hedge funds betting on higher prices (49,691 contracts net)

Beef

0· no cut expected
CropUSDA: 705,000 t in 2027, up 0.7% on last year, 1% of the world's
TradeExports 655,000 t, 5% of the world's; imports 30,000 t; bought 0 t of US beef in the week to Oct 29; 25 t shipped this marketing year (0 t a year earlier)
MarketBeef $6.83/kg in October, down 0.4% on the month, down 3.7% on the year, the lowest since July 2025; hedge funds betting on higher prices (49,691 contracts net)
News1 report in our sources in the last 14 days
CropUSDA expects no palm kernel meal crop to speak of in 2026/27
TradeImports 2.5 million t, 32% of the world's

Bought from the US

USDA's weekly export sales, the week to October 29, 2026: new sales less cancellations, and this marketing year's shipments.

CommodityThis weekShipped this year
pork174 t2,801 ta year earlier 4,710
rice19 t173 ta year earlier 157
corn0 t0 ta year earlier 0
soybean meal0 t0 ta year earlier 34,000
beef0 t25 ta year earlier 0

Who buys its commodities

Its biggest commodity exports (farm, energy, metals) in 2024 and their main buyers, by value (CEPII BACI, January 2026 release, from UN trade statistics; Etalab Open Licence 2.0).

  • Whole milk powder $4.7 billionChina 28%, Algeria 10%, United Arab Emirates 6.5%, Indonesia 4.8%
  • Butter $2.9 billionChina 27%, Australia 7.4%, Saudi Arabia 6.9%, United States 5.5%
  • Beef $2.7 billionUnited States 42%, China 24%, Japan 7.4%, Canada 5.5%
  • Cheese $1.7 billionChina 27%, Japan 15%, Australia 13%, South Korea 5.9%
  • Skim milk powder $1.3 billionChina 32%, Indonesia 16%, Malaysia 7.7%, Philippines 6.9%
  • Aluminium $742 millionJapan 45%, South Korea 26%, France 5.9%, Netherlands 4.3%
  • Apples $635 millionChina 25%, Vietnam 12%, Taiwan 11%, China, Hong Kong SAR 7.1%
  • Crude oil $622 millionAustralia 29%, South Korea 25%, Singapore 23%, China 17%
  • Gold $612 millionAustralia 86%, United States 7.2%, Canada 2.2%, China, Hong Kong SAR 2.1%
  • Iron ore $278 millionChina 59%, China, Hong Kong SAR 20%, Singapore 19%, Japan 1.6%

Where its commodities come from

Its biggest commodity imports in 2024 and where they come from, by value.

  • Urea $188 millionSaudi Arabia 60%, Malaysia 22%, Vietnam 9.3%, Brunei Darussalam 4.9%
  • Pork $184 millionUnited States 21%, Spain 16%, Canada 15%, Fed. Rep. of Germany (...1990) 14%
  • Wheat $176 millionAustralia 100%, Malaysia 0%, India 0%, United Kingdom 0%
  • Sugar $157 millionAustralia 42%, Thailand 29%, Argentina 10%, Guatemala 6.1%
  • Soybean meal $142 millionArgentina 72%, United States 26%, Thailand 0.8%, India 0.7%
  • DAP fertilizer $123 millionChina 75%, Saudi Arabia 12%, South Korea 7.4%, Vietnam 4.5%
  • Rapeseed oil $103 millionAustralia 60%, Malaysia 37%, India 0.9%, Canada 0.9%
  • Coffee $102 millionBrazil 16%, Switzerland 16%, Colombia 12%, Australia 7.8%
  • Coal $97 millionIndonesia 90%, Australia 10%, South Africa 0.1%, China 0.1%
  • Cocoa $85 millionIndonesia 34%, Ghana 17%, Malaysia 17%, Singapore 14%

New Zealand's country page

Prices, October 2026

The World Bank's monthly averages in US dollars (the Pink Sheet, updated November 3), against the month before and a year before. Licensed CC BY 4.0.

CommodityPriceMonthYear
Energy
Crude oil, average108.5 $/bbl+6.1%+72.2%
Crude oil, Brent125 $/bbl+7%+93.2%
Crude oil, Dubai102.7 $/bbl+10.1%+59.7%
Crude oil, WTI97.7 $/bbl+0.8%+62.3%
Coal, Australian152.3 $/mt+3.5%+41.7%
Coal, South African100 $/mt+1.8%+9.2%
Natural gas, US2.96 $/mmbtu+0.3%−7.5%
Natural gas, Europe28.5 $/mmbtu+12.1%+161.7%
Liquefied natural gas, Japan16.59 $/mmbtu+2%+49.5%
Natural gas index182.7 2010=100+8.9%+86.2%
Beverages
Cocoa5.75 $/kg−2.9%−3.4%
Coffee, Arabica7.4 $/kg+1.9%−16.9%
Coffee, Robusta3.63 $/kg−1.6%−23.4%
Tea, avg 3 auctions2.88 $/kg+0.7%−4.3%
Tea, Colombo3.75 $/kg+0.5%−4.8%
Tea, Kolkata2.55 $/kg+0.8%−10.8%
Tea, Mombasa2.33 $/kg+1.3%+4.5%
Food
Coconut oil2,029 $/mt−2.4%−20.3%
Groundnuts1,600 $/mt+2.4%+33.3%
Fish meal2,840 $/mt−2.6%+60.5%
Groundnut oil1,850 $/mt−0.5%+13.6%
Palm oil1,120 $/mt−5.1%+7.9%
Palm kernel oil2,287 $/mt−2.9%+0.6%
Soybeans515 $/mt−1.7%+27.5%
Soybean oil1,546 $/mt−4.3%+36.6%
Soybean meal453 $/mt+1.3%+27.2%
Rapeseed oil1,405 $/mt−2.6%+11.2%
Sunflower oil1,413 $/mt+1.4%+3.7%
Barley80.4 $/mtAugust 2020——
Maize226.5 $/mt−5.5%+14.3%
Sorghum189.5 $/mtAugust 2020——
Rice, Thai 5%489 $/mt+1.5%+37.4%
Rice, Thai 25%472 $/mt+2.4%+34.5%
Rice, Thai A.1467.4 $/mt−1.2%+39.1%
Rice, Viet Namese 5%413.9 $/mt−1.1%+13.2%
Wheat, US SRW260.3 $/mt−6.6%+24.4%
Wheat, US HRW317 $/mt−8.6%+37.3%
Banana, Europe1.1 $/kg−1.8%−2.7%
Banana, US1.18 $/kg+5.4%+4.4%
Orange0.75 $/kg−5.1%−28.6%
Beef6.83 $/kg−0.4%−3.7%
Chicken1.84 $/kg+1.7%+7%
Lamb7.48 $/kg+3%+18.2%
Shrimps, Mexican8.6 $/kgOctober 2023——
Sugar, EU0.37 $/kg−2.6%−2.6%
Sugar, US0.92 $/kg+8.2%+19.5%
Sugar, world0.43 $/kg+4.9%+26.5%
Raw materials
Tobacco, US import u.v.6,775 $/mtJuly 2026——
Logs, Cameroon392.1 $/cubic meter−2.7%−3.7%
Logs, Malaysian188.5 $/cubic meter−0.9%−4.1%
Sawnwood, Cameroon636.8 $/cubic meter−0.9%−0.5%
Sawnwood, Malaysian724.3 $/cubic meter−1%−0.5%
Plywood345.8 cents/sheet−0.9%−4.1%
Cotton, A Index2 $/kg−4.8%+19%
Rubber, TSR202.55 $/kg+5.8%+49.1%
Rubber, RSS32.83 $/kg+2.9%+41.5%
Fertilizers
Phosphate rock170 $/mt0%+11.5%
DAP803.1 $/mt+0.3%+6.5%
TSP692 $/mt+0.3%+5.1%
Urea420 $/mt+3.1%+6.5%
Potassium chloride357.5 $/mt−2.7%+1.6%
Metals and minerals
Aluminum3,061 $/mt−6.8%+9.6%
Iron ore, cfr spot90.8 $/dmtu−7.1%−12.3%
Copper14,508 $/mt+0.2%+35.1%
Lead1,860 $/mt−0.7%−5.5%
Tin51,696 $/mt−3.8%+43.6%
Nickel15,436 $/mt−5.4%+2.3%
Zinc3,818 $/mt−5%+21.1%
Precious metals
Gold4,105 $/troy oz−5%+1.2%
Platinum1,621 $/troy oz−9.1%+0.3%
Silver57 $/troy oz−11.8%+15.4%

The record

Each card's score calls USDA's next revision of the country's crop: 50 or more “cut likely”, 30 to 49 “cut possible”, under 30 “no cut expected”. When USDA revises (grains, oilseeds and cotton every month, about the 10th; coffee and sugar twice a year), the last call before it is checked against what USDA did.

CallCallsUSDA cutRaisedUnchanged
no cut expected4033032341
cut possible1010

Sources

Crop figures: USDA FAS (PSD, Weekly Export Sales). Prices: World Bank Commodity Price Data (The Pink Sheet), CC BY 4.0. Hedge funds: CFTC Commitments of Traders. Weather: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), normals from NASA POWER. Trade partners: CEPII BACI (Etalab Open Licence 2.0). Crop calendars after USDA FAS's; growing regions are the main ones of each main producer.

The same readings as data, free: GET /api/v1/commodities (and /map, /country/{code}, /prices, /weather, /scorecard).