These graphs show dramatically the transformation in New Zealand's trading partners in the second half of the 20th century. In 1950 over 60% of New Zealand's exports and close to 60% of imports were to, or from, the United Kingdom. By the early 2000s the UK comprised under 5% of the trade. The trading partners that had become important were Australia, the United States, Japan and – increasingly – China. Inevitably this shifted New Zealanders' focus away from Britain and towards Asia and the Pacific.
Using this item
Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Source: G. T. Bloomfield, New Zealand: a handbook of historical statistics. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1984, and Statistics New Zealand
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