India and New Zealand FTA takes effect Oct 20 2026
Big news for trade: India and New Zealand's free trade agreement (FTA) officially starts on October 20, 2026.
This deal means Indian products like textiles, leather, and engineering goods can head to New Zealand without any duties.
Signed after nine months of talks, the FTA is all about making business smoother and boosting economic ties between the two countries.
India gets duty-free raw materials, visas
India also gets duty-free access to key raw materials like wooden logs and coking coal, helpful for manufacturing.
India has offered tariff liberalization on 70.03% of tariff lines, covering 95% of bilateral trade value, while keeping 29.97% of tariff lines outside the tariff commitments.
On the flip side, New Zealand can send apples and Manuka honey to India under special quotas tied to agricultural projects.
Plus, New Zealand has committed to facilitate $20 billion of investment into India, and up to 5,000 skilled Indian professionals will get new work visa opportunities in IT, engineering, and healthcare.