India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement Enters into Force on 20 October 2026 with Zero-Duty Access for Indian Exports

20 October 2026National

The India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, signed on 27 April 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, came into force on 20 October 2026, with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal confirming implementation alongside New Zealand's Todd McClay. New Zealand removed duties on 100% of its 8,284 tariff lines, while India liberalises 70.03% of its lines, covering about 95% of bilateral trade value. The Department of Revenue notified revised customs duty rates under Section 25(1) of the Customs Act, 1962. The partners target nearly Rs 35,000 crore in two-way trade by 2030, building on the Strategic Partnership agreed during the Prime Minister's July 2026 visit.

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New Zealand's capital is Wellington, its largest city is Auckland and its currency is the New Zealand dollar | New Zealand is a parliamentary democracy with King Charles III as head of state, represented by a Governor-General | India's other major trade pacts include the UAE CEPA (2022), the Australia ECTA (2022) and the India-EFTA TEPA signed in March 2024

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