India and New Zealand Sign a Memorandum of Cooperation for Electronic Exchange of Origin Data Under Their FTA

22 October 2026National

India and New Zealand signed a Memorandum of Cooperation for the electronic exchange of origin data on traded goods, operationalising the rules-of-origin machinery of the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement that entered into force on 20 October 2026. It was signed by Vivek Chaturvedi, Chairman of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), and Christine Stevenson, Chief Executive and Comptroller of the New Zealand Customs Service. Paperless, real-time sharing of certificate-of-origin data is meant to curb trade deflection and false origin claims and speed customs clearance, with textiles and engineering goods named as key Indian beneficiaries.

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CBIC functions under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, and was renamed from the Central Board of Excise and Customs in 2018 after GST | Rules of origin determine the country where a good was produced and decide eligibility for preferential tariffs under a free trade agreement | New Zealand's capital is Wellington, its currency the New Zealand dollar and its Prime Minister heads a Westminster-style parliament

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