Global Dairy Trade (GDT): physical commodity exchange in Auckland
GDT is an online auction platform for physically delivered dairy ingredients, founded in New Zealand.
AGR-067 · Physical commodity exchange · Auckland, New Zealand · USD
International physical dairy ingredient auctions and price discovery
GDT is an online auction platform for physically delivered dairy ingredients, founded in New Zealand. It connects dairy processors with buyers of substantial product quantities, while auction results provide price references for the industry. Its catalogue has eight main groups, ranging from milk powders and milk fat to selected cheeses and lactose. GDT Events normally take place twice a month and should be distinguished from the separate GDT Pulse service. Participation concerns real product specifications and delivery commitments, not simply exposure to an index.
The location field records an organisational transition: an industry profile identifies Auckland, while on 2 June 2026 GDT announced plans to establish its global headquarters in Singapore. That announcement alone is not treated here as confirmation that the entire relocation has been completed. Trading takes place online, so an office address is not a milk collection point. Public results support market observation, with more extensive data available through a subscription service. An individual product price must be distinguished from an auction-wide price-change index.
A buyer should determine composition, processing function, packaging and acceptable suppliers before bidding. Powder for a bakery mix may have different requirements from material for a specialised dairy application. Registration, purchasing eligibility and the relevant seller's conditions must be addressed before participation. Shipping period, port or release point, minimum quantity and onward transport to the factory all matter in the cost calculation. A result expressed in US dollars per tonne is not automatically the full delivered cost at the buyer's warehouse. Keep the particular product and shipment period visible when comparing an auction result with a negotiated supply offer.
A seller should assess its ability to offer regular, sufficiently consistent batches and fulfil declared delivery periods. A practical proposition needs specifications, quality documentation, production planning and clear delivery performance terms. Consider separately how auction sales complement direct relationships and whether price variability affects inventory finance. A reader using results only for analysis should record product, variant, delivery period and event number. An auction average can change with the mix of products sold, so a headline percentage does not reprice every shipment. The conditions accepted by the participants remain decisive for an actual transaction, while the published series provides a reference against which those terms can be assessed.
What is priced: Milk and dairy
Where to find the prices
Products and quotations
Anhydrous milk fat AMF; Butter; Buttermilk powder BMP; Cheddar; Lactose; Mozzarella; Skim milk powder SMP; Whole milk powder WMP
Key figures
- Number of main product groups: 8 groups (Base year undisclosed; checked 27 Oct 2026). GDT Events; seller variants form a wider catalogue.
- Standard Trading Events per month: 2 auctions/month (Base year undisclosed; checked 27 Oct 2026). GDT Events frequency; excludes GDT Pulse.
Sources
- GDT — participation and products
- GDT — results
- GDT — Singapore announcement
- ADPI — GDT profile and location
All agricultural exchanges, markets and price sources
