New Zealand ports directory
Data refreshed 2026-10-11T20:35:08Z · quarterly refresh cycle
IMF PortWatch tracks 13 ports in New Zealand (NZL) with 6,160 vessels observed on the day of extraction; 2 of them reach the Tier-A activity threshold (≥1,000 vessels).
Sources: Kpler; UN Global Platform; IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org).
| Port | Vessels | Container | Dry bulk | Gen. cargo | RoRo | Tanker | Import share | Export share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tauranga | 1,367 | 743 | 385 | 101 | 18 | 118 | 20.85% | 20.93% |
| Auckland | 1,005 | 570 | 125 | 112 | 164 | 34 | 12.21% | 2.57% |
| Port Lyttelton | 696 | 352 | 123 | 47 | 72 | 100 | 9.39% | 9.40% |
| Napier | 589 | 267 | 193 | 69 | 10 | 50 | 2.87% | 3.95% |
| Whangerei | 448 | 58 | 166 | 35 | 0 | 188 | 30.57% | 13.80% |
| Wellington | 435 | 155 | 138 | 11 | 64 | 67 | 7.31% | 7.76% |
| Nelson | 349 | 162 | 89 | 21 | 41 | 35 | 0.51% | 1.92% |
| Timaru | 317 | 103 | 112 | 43 | 1 | 56 | 2.64% | 2.08% |
| Otago | 307 | 172 | 72 | 7 | 0 | 55 | 1.49% | 3.83% |
| Bluff Harbor | 238 | 53 | 94 | 38 | 0 | 52 | 4.46% | 3.07% |
| New Plymouth | 236 | 1 | 87 | 27 | 0 | 119 | 7.65% | 22.57% |
| Gisborne | 129 | 0 | 109 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0.01% | 3.53% |
| Picton | 44 | 0 | 32 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0.03% | 4.60% |
9 of 13 ports carry a UN/LOCODE; all ports in this layer are SIP-class. Import/export shares are each port’s share of national maritime trade.
Dominant cargo industries
AgriculturePetroleum, Chemical and Non-Metallic Mineral ProductsMining and QuarryingFood & BeveragesWood and PaperMetal Products
Frequently asked questions
Which is the busiest container port in New Zealand?
Tauranga leads New Zealand by tracked container-vessel activity with 743 containership calls counted on the day of extraction (IMF PortWatch).
Which port handles the most imports in New Zealand?
Whangerei handles the largest recorded share of New Zealand maritime imports, 30.57% of the national total in the latest PortWatch extraction.
How many ports are tracked in New Zealand?
IMF PortWatch currently tracks 13 ports in New Zealand; this directory profiles every one of them with activity, cargo mix and trade-share data.
Related trade guides
Port data — Sources: Kpler; UN Global Platform; IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org). Reused under the IMF Copyright & Usage terms. Fields subsetted (geometry omitted); see our data sources note. The IMF is not affiliated with and does not endorse ExportSonar.