New Zealand commodity prices had their biggest decline since the height of the global financial crisis in 2008, led by falling dairy product prices.

With commodity prices falling, New Zealand's strong economic run is at risk of faltering, writes Liam Dann. Lower export earnings should add urgency to this month's Budget for Finance Minister Bill English.

Business confidence dipped in ANZ's monthly survey but the expectations of firms about their own activity and their hiring and investment intentions remain strong.

Prime Minister John Key has met with the Saudi Arabian king and raised the issue of human rights.

Representatives from the Five Nations Beef Alliance are in Maryland this week pushing for beef trade liberalisation through the proposed Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal.

Wool prices have recovered some lost ground and are expected to remain steady throughout the year, says ASB Bank in its latest commodities report.

John Key will arrive in Saudi Arabia today with the hope of getting high-level commitment from the new King to a free trade agreement with the Gulf states.

Bluelab Corporation will use a new research and development growth grant to speed up taking a new sensory product to market in the next year.

The kiwi nearing parity with the Australian dollar is causing concern for New Zealand tourism operators, but nobody's pressing the panic button yet.

Units in the Fonterra Shareholders' Fund fell to their lowest point since listing on the NZX in 2012 on the back of growing farmer and investor unrest.

Dairy product prices declined in the latest GlobalDairyTrade auction, led by a slump in prices for butter milk powder and whole milk powder.

Our efforts to minimise our impact aren't enough for some. Now there must be no expansion and there are calls to move the port, somewhere, anywhere, writes Tony Gibson.

Expectations that a higher dividend from Fonterra would at least partly offset a low milk price went by the wayside yesterday when the co-operative lowered its dividend forecast range.

The trade deficit widened to $2.2 billion in the year ended February, the biggest it has been since August 2009.

Economists expect Fonterra to stick with its $4.70 per kg farm gate milk price forecast for 2014/15 when it reports its first-half result tomorrow.

Export log prices dropped for the first time in eight months as shipments to China, the nation's largest market, exceeded demand.

The majority of Auckland councillors now want a rethink on the controversial proposed expansion of the port.

The protest was sparked by port company plans to begin building two massive extensions and Auckland Council voting to ease rules for further reclamation.

Trade Minister Tim Groser will today seal a free trade deal with South Korea that will essentially steer NZ towards a level playing field with its competitors.

About 2000 people and more than a hundred boats gathered today to protest plans by Ports of Auckland to reclaim more of Waitemata Harbour.

Auckland's Waitemata Harbour has been "turned from a harbour into a river", by Ports of Auckland expansion, yachting great Chris Dickson says.

Prominent business leaders, sailors, architects, musicians have signed an open letter demanding that Ports of Auckland 'stop stealing our harbour'.

Population growth, boosted by a record net migration gain, explains about half of the strong economic growth recorded last year.

NZ and the US have escalated a complaint against Indonesia to the World Trade Organisation on import restrictions.

New Zealand's external accounts sank deeper into the red during the last three months of 2014.