WELLINGTON, Sept. 25 -- New Zealand's statistics department Stats NZ has said the country's exports of several commodities, including crude oil, fruit, and dairy products, increased in value in August 2019 led by China market.

Among the main export markets, China had the largest increase of up 118 million to 1.0 billion New Zealand dollars, led by increases in beef, kiwifruit, and dairy products. These increases were partly offset by a fall in logs, Stats NZ said recently.

In August 2019, the value of total goods exports rose 151 million New Zealand dollars or 3.8 percent from August 2018 to 4.1 billion New Zealand dollars.

The rise in exports was led by crude oil, up 58 million New Zealand dollars from August 2018. Exports of crude oil fluctuate from month to month, meaning large rises or falls in monthly values.

Exports of fruit rose 57 million New Zealand dollars, with both gold kiwifruit and apples up on a year earlier.

"Kiwifruit and apple exports have had strong export seasons to the end of August this year, with both values and quantities up on 2018," international statistics manager Geraldine Duoba said.

Exports of gold kiwifruit in the 2019 season to date (April-August) were 17 percent higher in value and 13 percent higher in quantity than in 2018.

Exports of apples in the 2019 season to date (March-August) were 13 percent higher in value and 6.9 percent higher in quantity than in 2018.

These rises were partly offset by falls in liquefied natural gas (down 73 million New Zealand dollars), and untreated logs (down 51 million New Zealand dollars).

"In each of the last two months, the total value of untreated log exports is down on the same month of the previous year, driven by lower prices," Duoba said.

The value of total goods imports in August 2019 rose 149 million New Zealand dollars (2.7 percent) from August 2018 to 5.7 billion New Zealand dollars.

The monthly trade balance in August 2019 was a deficit of 1.6 billion New Zealand dollars, marginally smaller than the record monthly deficit of September 2018. (1 New Zealand dollar equals 0.63 U.S. dollar)