The New Zealand dollar soared to a new 25-year-high, passing 87 cents, as speeches by US President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner showed no progress in lifting the debt ceiling.

New Zealand economic growth will accelerate in the next year or two, despite the global economy hitting a soft patch, Westpac's latest quarterly economic review says.

New Zealand's trade surplus was $230m in June, missing forecasts and pushing the kiwi dollar down by almost a third of a cent.

A proposed Trans Pacific Partnership is the top trade priority for Barack Obama and John Key.

Closer NZ-US ties move up a notch with leaders' meeting and symbolic visit of Marines next year.

The NZ dollar could potentially hit US90c against the greenback over the next few weeks, a currency strategist says. But the high dollar is starting to hurt NZ's economic growth, according to John Key.

A major US dairy company, which markets products for four co-ops will start selling products through Fonterra's online dairy auction system from October.

Apple's solid profits failed to take away investors' concern about the political wrangling in the US.

Average prices of dairy products fell to their lowest level since early December in Fonterra's latest online auction, adding to evidence the steam in coming out of global commodity prices.

Labour's proposals will make things a lot worse for exporters, writes Bruce Wills.