NEW DELHI, Sept 21: India and New Zealand on Monday formally ratified the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries and will come into force on October 20, 2026, New Zealand’s Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay announced.
The two countries had inked the FTA on April 27, 2026, which was termed by Prime Ministers of both countries as a “historic” step towards deepening trade, investment, and people-to-people ties. The agreement will see New Zealand removing all tariffs on all goods imported from India, while India will remove or reduce tariffs on 95% of current imports from New Zealand.
New Zealand’s Parliament had on September 16 passed the legislation to implement the FTA. “The New Zealand-India FTA will level the playing field and unlock access for Kiwi businesses in one of the fastest growing markets in the world,” Mr McClay said on Monday. “As global markets become more uncertain, it has never been more important for New Zealand exporters to diversify, build resilience and pursue new opportunities,” he added.
In pursuance of the ratification, India and New Zealand formally exchanged Diplomatic Notes confirming the completion of respective domestic legal processes for the FTA. Mr McClay exchanged formal documents with India’s High Commissioner to New Zealand Muanpuii Saiawi in New Zealand’s Parliament today, confirming that New Zealand has completed all its necessary domestic procedures.
(Manas Dasgupta)