Growing demand for burger meat has super-charged New Zealand's exports to the United States.

The US has recently overtaken Australia as New Zealand’s second-largest export market last year, according to new Stats NZ data.

ANZ economist Henry Russell says this is good news for New Zealand's beef industry, which has been hit hard by decreased demand from China.

"The US market has actually overtaken China for meat exports in the past year, so that's a very positive story in the sense that we've been able to pivot away from that market."

LISTEN ABOVE