New Zealand has lifted its purchasing power with the rest of the world.
Statistics New Zealand says the terms of trade rose 3% in the three months to September - as import prices fell and export prices held steady.
A rise in the terms of trade means that for every dollar of exports sold, a larger volume of imports can be purchased.
Lower prices for forestry, fruit and fuel exports, offset a rise of 7.1% in dairy prices.
But import prices fell by 3%, driven by cheaper fuel and machinery.
Terms of trade for the year were almost 18% higher in the year to September, than it in the previous year.
