Export New Zealand says strengthening trade with Australia and Asia will continue to boost the export sector in coming years.
Executive director Catherine Beard says exporters are becoming increasingly optimistic, even though the recovery remains patchy.
Ms Beard says the agricultural and dairy sectors are doing well, and strong trade with Australia and Asia will help boost the economy, but a recovery to pre-crisis levels will take some time.
The next concern for manufacturers, she says, will be finding enough skilled staff.
Some economists are questioning the strength of the sector's recovery, and whether further hikes in the Official Cash Rate are justified.
BERL chief economist Ganesh Nana disputes the existence of an export-led recovery, saying logs and wine were the only export products to show significant improvements in revenue in the last year.
Mr Nana doesn't think the Reserve Bank has any reason to lift interest rates until more of the sector show signs of picking up.
However, Westpac chief economist Brendan O'Donovan says other economic indicators suggest the sector is growing, and he thinks the Reserve Bank's gradual approach to raising rates is the right one.
The Reserve Bank next reviews the official cash rate on 29 July.
