The country posted a small trade surplus in January as growth in exports and imports kept pace, according to official numbers released this morning.
Statistics New Zealand said there was a surplus of $8 million for the month, with close to $3.9 billion of goods sold and virtually the same amount imported.
Dairy products remained the backbone of exports, and fruit exports were strong.
The fall in the price of oil was helping to keep import costs in check.
The trade deficit for the year ended January widened slightly to nearly $3.6b.