The New Zealand dollar advanced as investors gained confidence that tensions in Ukraine were easing, stoking demand for risk-sensitive assets.

New Zealand commodity prices rose to a record in February, as cheese prices surged to a six-year high.

New Zealand posted its third straight trade surplus in January, as sales of dairy products drove record exports to China.

There's no room for shoddy and cheap Chinese exports anymore, says a visiting Chinese trade boss.

Infant formula exporters are on edge before an audit of local manufacturing facilities by Chinese officials next month.

New Zealand's five major banks continued to show strong earnings growth in the second half of their financial years, says international consultancy PwC.

Tim Groser must respond to calls for transparency and release the negotiating documents so they can receive parliamentary scrutiny and public debate, writes Barry Coates.

The cost of new "generic" versions of Herceptin and other such pharmaceuticals looks likely to become a casualty of the TPP agreement, writes George Laking.

The high price of the breast cancer drug Herceptin in New Zealand could stand unchallenged for up to an extra 12 years under proposals leaked from the Asia-Pacific free-trade talks.

The Kiwi weakened after Fed minutes of its January meeting showed some officials raised the possibility of rate rises "relatively soon".

The dollar was the weakest performer overnight, after comments by Bill English that the kiwi may be 20% overvalued.

Dairy product prices recorded their biggest drop since early November in the latest global auction, with the volume sold falling to an eight-month low.

Ports of Auckland chief executive Tony Gibson says the company is starting to reap the benefits of a reorganisation plan started in 2011.