New Zealand to release data on China trade amid coronavirus outbreak

[WELLINGTON] New Zealand said on Friday that it would release provisional data on its trade with China in the four weeks to Feb 23, in a special release prompted by heightened interest in the impact on businesses from the coronavirus epidemic.

Statistics New Zealand will release the data on Monday at 0130 GMT, which will provide an initial snapshot of trade with China in those weeks compared with same period last year.

This data will include total trade value with China as well as key exports of meat, fish, dairy and forestry products, the agency said in an media invitation.

Global markets headed for the worst week since the world financial crisis in 2008 as investors braced for the coronavirus to become a pandemic.

New Zealand's finance minister said on Thursday that the virus could have a serious impact on the economy in the short-term while new data showed businesses were more pessimistic about their prospects.

REUTERS