The US-Iran conflict could affect New Zealand’s red meat exports to the Middle East, the Meat Industry Association says.

A spokesperson for the association said New Zealand red meat exporters were closely monitoring the situation in the region after the US and Israel launched an attack on Iran over the weekend.

The disruption to the Strait of Hormuz won’t affect exports to Britain and Europe as New Zealand’s red meat products are shipped via the Red Sea or around Africa, a Meat Industry Association (MIA) spokesperson said.

“However, nearly all our exports to the Gulf Co-operation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf [GCC] go through Hormuz,” the spokesperson said.

In 2025, this trade was valued at $298 million.

“While there are other ports outside the Gulf for some of the GCC countries, such as Jeddah for Saudi Arabia and Sohar for Oman, these are likely to face significant congestion and delays if the ports inside the Gulf can’t be accessed,” the MIA said.

“If Hormuz is closed, congestion and delays will primarily impact chilled exports to the Middle East, which were worth $166m last year.”

The GCC countries are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.

Dairy giant Fonterra, which has a large expatriate workforce, said all its people were safe and it was monitoring the situation closely.

It was too early to say what the impact would be for Fonterra, the co-op said in a statement.

“The Middle East is an important and complex region and we are well versed at trading through geopolitical and trade volatility with supply chain disruptions,” Fonterra said.

“However, the situation remains highly unpredictable, with a variety of scenarios that could play out over time.”

Emma Parsons, chief executive of the supply chain firm Kotahi, said all shipping lines have suspended services through the Strait of Hormuz because of the Middle East conflict.

“Kotahi is working with our carrier partners and customers to identify contingency plans and alternative routes for cargo destined for the Middle East or scheduled to transit through the region,” Parsons said.

“We currently have 4000 TEU [equivalent twenty-foot containers] of cargo in transit on this trade lane.

“Kotahi is closely monitoring developments in the Middle East and is well positioned to respond quickly to support New Zealand exporters in this evolving situation.”

Dairy and meat are New Zealand’s two biggest exports.

New Zealand exported red meat products worth $11.7 billion during 2025, a 19% increase on 2024, and a record value for a calendar year, according to the MIA.

The United States was the largest market for the year, up 17% to $3.2b, followed by China, up 2% to $2.5b.

In the year to June 30, 2025, New Zealand exported a record $27.15b of dairy products, a 16.87% gain on the prior year.

China accounts for 35% of New Zealand’s dairy exports, however Australia, Indonesia, United States, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Japan each account for 4% or more of sales, while the remaining 39% of sales go to all other countries.

Jamie Gray is an Auckland-based journalist, covering the financial markets, the primary sector and energy. He joined the Herald in 2011.