Band 9: The two line graphs below show New Zealand import figures from Australia and Japan in the years 1994 - 2004. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The line graph illustrates the import values from Japan and Australia to New Zealand over a ten-year period from 1994 to 2004, measured in millions of New Zealand dollars.

Overall, New Zealand imported more from Australia than from Japan throughout the period. While both countries experienced fluctuations, Australia ended the period with a significant increase, whereas Japan’s import values remained relatively stable.

Australia’s import values started at 4,000 million NZD in 1994, showing a sharp rise until mid-2000, reaching approximately 6,000 million NZD. However, there was a noticeable dip in 1999, followed by another decline in early 2002. Despite these fluctuations, Australia’s imports recovered and ended the period strongly at 8,000 million NZD by 2004.

In contrast, Japan’s imports to New Zealand began at 3,000 million NZD in 1994. After a brief recovery in 1999, the import values experienced a sharp decline in early 2000 and remained relatively flat, finishing at around 3,000 million NZD, less than half of Australia’s final figure.

In summary, while both countries’ imports fluctuated over the decade, Australia’s import figures saw a marked increase, whereas Japan’s remained stable and significantly lower.