New Zealand-India FTA opens access to 1.4 billion consumers for Kiwi exporters

New Zealand exporters are set to gain access to a consumer market of 1.4 billion people under a Free Trade Agreement with India signed earlier this year, according to New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who said the deal would bring “more money into Kiwi communities, creating jobs and lifting wages.”

Luxon said 57% of everything New Zealand exports to India will be tariff-free from day one under the agreement, which was signed in April to deepen bilateral trade, boost investment and expand cooperation across goods and services. Under the framework, all Indian exports will also receive duty-free access to the New Zealand market.

The announcement came a day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day state visit to New Zealand — the first state visit by an Indian prime minister to the country in nearly four decades. During the visit, Modi is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Luxon covering trade, commerce and defence cooperation, along with meetings with business and sports leaders and an address to the Indian diaspora.

For India, the agreement is expected to strengthen its presence in a high-income Pacific economy as part of its broader Indo-Pacific economic strategy. For New Zealand, it provides greater access to one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies amid global trade uncertainty.