One Hawke’s Bay grower will divert volume away from the US as he readies for significant crop of large apples this season
New Zealand apple exporters supplying the US have been forced to consider their options in the face of a 15 per cent tariff, according to a report from Radio New Zealand.
The US first introduced a 10 per cent tariff on a range of New Zealand exports in April 2025, which later increased to 15 per cent. While some tariffs were then lifted in November, including those for kiwifruit, the tariff on apples remains intact.
Hawke’s Bay grower Paul Paynter told Radio New Zealand the 15 per cent tariff essentially cancelled out his margins.
“Fruit we shipped to the US this year returned probably a dollar less than the costs, so regrettably we have no plans to ship to the US in this current season,” he said. “Until the tariffs are gone it will be difficult to make a dollar.”
Instead, Paynter told the programme, he would shift focus to other international markets, adding that the US market also faced oversupply challenges.
Local AgFirst horticulture consultant, Jonathan Brookes, agreed.
“The US market has tended to be overflowing a bit with its own supply,” he told Radio New Zealand. “There’s key people in there and doing really well but they’re quite specific.
“A lot of the markets around Asia and beyond are actually doing quite well.”
Taiwan is another popular market for large New Zealand apples. According to a USDA report, New Zealand exported over 40,000 tonnes to the market in 2025, ranking as the top supplier by value. This was bolstered by record production and an extended export season.
Paynter was also optimistic about the season ahead. He told the programme the region had experienced near perfect growing conditions and was expecting a significant crop of large apples from his nearly 600ha Hawke’s Bay orchards. “Probably the warmest spring conditions we’ve ever experienced here in Hawke’s Bay and that early heat is what really sets the trajectory for fruit size,” he told the programme.
