|
The fourth round (November 3-7, 2025) of negotiations for the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) commenced on Monday in Auckland, New Zealand, marking another step forward in advancing a balanced, comprehensive, and mutually beneficial partnership between the two nations.
According to India's commerce ministry, this development builds on the shared commitment to deepen economic ties and guidance given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the visit of the New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister in March 2025. The FTA was launched during the meeting between Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Todd McClay, Minister for Trade and Investment, New Zealand on March 16, 2025. Negotiations in this round are focusing on key areas, including Trade in Goods, Trade in Services, and Rules of Origin, the commerce ministry said in a statement today. "Both sides are working constructively to build on the progress achieved in earlier rounds, to reach convergence on outstanding issues and move towards the early conclusion of the FTA," the statement added India and New Zealand reiterated their commitment to developing a forward-looking and inclusive trade framework that supports sustainable growth and shared prosperity for both economies. India is actively negotiating trade agreements with nearly a dozen countries, including the United States, the European Union, Australia, Sri Lanka, Qatar, and several others, in a bid to expand trade and secure long-term growth opportunities. The coming months are expected to be critical, when the outcomes of these negotiations could redefine India's role in the global trade architecture and shape its economic trajectory for the next decade. India has, over the past 5 years, inked several trade deals, including the India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) implemented in 2021, the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) in 2022, the India-European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) in 2024, and the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) signed in 2025, which is understandably yet to come into force. Negotiations for a comprehensive trade deal between India and Oman, which commenced in 2023, were recently concluded. (ANI)
|
