Dairy product prices dropped to the lowest level since July 2012 in the latest GlobalDairyTrade auction, led by a slump in rennet casein and butter milk powder.

New Zealand commodity prices fell for a sixth straight month in August, taking the index to a 17-month low.

New Zealand's terms of trade held at a 40-year high in the second quarter, as a high New Zealand dollar pushed down the price of imports, offsetting a decline in exports.

We're eating more fresh fruit and vegetables, visiting supermarkets more often, spending more and seeking more self-service checkouts, says a supermarket boss.

National is trying to position itself as the only party which will deliver major free trade agreements, saying that Labour's trade policies will be scuppered by any potential coalition partners.

The New Zealand dollar weakened overnight, weighed down by a rising US dollar and changing expectations for Reserve Bank interest rate rises.

Falling prices for dairy and forest product exports drove the trade balance into the red last month.

Viewed from the vantage point of Standard & Poor's global chief economist the world economy does not seem too inhospitable a place right now, but not without risks either.

The Port of Tauranga said its underlying group net profit rose by 1.3 per cent to a record $78.3m thanks to an increase in bulk cargo.

Dairy prices showed signs of stabilising overnight, with the GlobalDairyTrade main price index slipping by just 0.6 per cent.

Russia is scouring the world for produce ranging from Chilean salmon to Egyptian oranges to fill a big hole left by its ban on Western food imports.