New Zealand recorded a NZ$1.97 billion September goods-trade deficit, while China’s third-quarter growth accelerated to 4.5%; FXStreet separately reported NZD/USD near 0.5660 early Oct. 19.
FXStreet’s report, published at 2:31 a.m. ET (06:31 UTC) on Oct. 19, placed the pair near 0.5660 after official releases from China and New Zealand. The figure is a report-time snapshot. FXStreet pointed to 0.5690 as a chart area to watch; Investing.com’s daily historical data record a 0.5689 high on Sept. 28, close to that level.
China’s economy grew 4.5% year over year in the third quarter, up from 4.3% in the second quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics of China reported. September retail sales rose 1.1% from a year earlier. The bureau said insufficient domestic demand remained a prominent concern.
Stats NZ reported NZ$6.47 billion in September goods exports and NZ$8.44 billion in imports. Petroleum and products imports rose NZ$608 million, or 96%, from a year earlier, with higher prices accounting for most of the increase in import value. Goods exports to China rose NZ$185 million, or 14%, from a year earlier, making it the leading destination in Stats NZ’s annual goods-export ranking. The figures cover goods and exclude services.
The seasonally adjusted BNZ–BusinessNZ Performance of Services Index eased to 50.9 in September from a revised 51.0 in August. A reading above 50 indicates expansion; September was the fourth consecutive month above that level.
Stats NZ is scheduled to release September-quarter inflation data Oct. 22. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s official cash rate is 2.75%, and its next policy review is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET Oct. 27 (01:00 UTC Oct. 28). The Federal Reserve meets Oct. 27-28.
