The 2nd round of negotiating talks for the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has concluded in New Delhi.
It marked a notable progress across all key areas, which included trade, investment as well and economic cooperation. Both sides expressed their commitment to securing a balanced, comprehensive and forward-looking agreement to strengthen bilateral trade ties.
According to a release by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, discussions during this round covered multiple sectors such as trade in goods and services, investment, rules of origin, customs procedures and trade facilitation, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, as well as wider economic cooperation.
Officials also noted that these talks were specially driven by shared interests in achieving early convergence on several negotiating texts.
The Ministry stated that this development underlines the determination of both nations to deepen economic ties, in line with the vision laid out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the visit of Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister of New Zealand, in March 2025.
The FTA negotiations were formally launched during the meeting between Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and Todd McClay, Minister for Trade and Investment, Government of New Zealand, on March 16, 2025.
The next round of negotiations is scheduled to take place in New Zealand in September 2025. In the interim, intersessional virtual meetings will be held to maintain the momentum gained during the second round.
Government data shows that India’s bilateral merchandise trade with New Zealand reached USD 1.3 billion in FY 2024-25, recording a 48.6 per cent rise compared to the previous financial year. The steady increase highlights the growing potential of the economic partnership.
The FTA is expected to boost trade flows, encourage investment linkages, promote supply chain resilience and establish a predictable and enabling business environment for stakeholders in both countries.
Follow us
