New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, has described the recently-concluded free trade agreement (FTA) with India as a “landmark deal” that will help boost exports, economic growth, and create new job opportunities.
In a social media post on Tuesday, Luxon said New Zealand has now concluded a free trade agreement with India, which he said is a major step in strengthening ties with the world’s largest country and the world’s fastest-growing big economy.
“New Zealand has now concluded a free trade agreement with India. This is a landmark deal with the world’s largest country and the world’s fastest-growing big economy that will create opportunities for jobs, exports, and growth for al,” the NZ PM said.
The country’s Prime Minister said sustained efforts were made by his government “from day one” to prioritise and invest in its engagement with its “trusted partner”, India, which resulted in a high-quality trade agreement that is expected to deliver deep and lasting benefits for New Zealand.
PM Luxon also shared that engagement between the two countries has been intensive, reflecting the government’s focus on building a strong and trusted partnership.
The FTA stands out as one of India’s fastest-concluded trade agreements that aligns with the national vision of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’. The negotiations for the deal were formally launched on March 16, 2025, during a meeting between Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, and Minister for Trade and Investment of New Zealand, Todd McClay.
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On December 22, the two countries concluded a comprehensive and forward-looking FTA that marked a major economic and strategic milestone in India’s engagement with the Indo-Pacific region after five formal rounds of negotiations, several in-person high-ministerial meetings, and virtual inter-sessions.
India’s commerce ministry said the trade pact establishes a high-quality economic partnership that promotes employment, facilitates skill mobility, drives trade and investment-led growth, fosters innovation for agricultural productivity, and enhances MSME participation to strengthen long-term economic resilience.
It eliminates tariffs on 100 per cent of its tariff lines, providing duty-free access for all Indian exports, officials in the ministry stated.
This market access enhances the competitiveness of India’s labour-intensive sectors, including textiles, apparel, leather, footwear, marine products, gems and jewellery, handicrafts, engineering goods and automobiles, which were hit hardest by high tariffs of 50 per cent imposed by the US on Indian goods last year.
The commerce ministry said the deal would directly support Indian workers, artisans, women, youth and MSMEs, and integrate them deeper into global value chains.
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