New Zealand passes legislation to give effect to India FTA

India has welcomed the passage of legislation by New Zealand's Parliament on 16 September, 2026 to give effect to the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, signed in New Delhi on 27 April 2026, describing it as an important step towards bringing the agreement into force.

Under the agreement, 100 per cent of Indian exports will get duty-free access to the New Zealand market from the date of entry into force, opening opportunities for sectors including textiles and apparel, leather and footwear, engineering goods, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture and processed food products. In return, the agreement gives New Zealand enhanced and preferential access to the Indian market for exports including wood, wool, sheep meat and leather raw hides.

The agreement also opens new opportunities in services, investment, and professional, student and youth mobility, including enhanced pathways for Indian professionals and students, and provides for facilitating 20 billion US dollars of investment into India. It further strengthens bilateral cooperation in areas including agricultural productivity, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, traditional medicine and AYUSH, technology, and trade facilitation.

India's government said the legislation's passage reflects the shared commitment of both countries to deepen and broaden their economic partnership, and follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to New Zealand in July 2026, the first by an Indian prime minister to the country in four decades. During that visit, the two prime ministers had reaffirmed their commitment to deepen economic engagement and emphasised the importance of implementing the FTA early.

India and New Zealand are now working to complete their respective domestic processes to facilitate the agreement's early entry into force.