NZ dollar falls on weaker Chinese imports

FIGURES from China show a bigger-than-expected drop in imports in September, leading to a fall in the currencies of New Zealand and Australia.

THE New Zealand dollar fell after Chinese figures showed a bigger-than-expected drop in imports last month, which weighed on the currencies of countries that ship commodities to the world's second-largest economy.

THE kiwi fell to 66.74 US cents as at 5pm in Wellington from 66.97 cents on Tuesday, while the trade-weighted index fell to 71.45 from 71.57.