October export sales down

October export sales were down 4 per cent on the same month last year, according to the latest business conditions survey by the New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

Domestic sales increased 7 per cent, with total sales for the month up 3 per cent on the year before.

The current performance index - a combination of profitability and cash flow - was at 102.5, up from 99.5 in September.

Anything less than 100 indicates a contraction.

NZMEA chief executive John Walley said while the latest figures were up on earlier comparable periods, the trend for the three months leading up to October saw growth stalling.