India-New Zealand FTA ratified, will enter into force on October 20

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

New Zealand’s Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay (R) exchanged formal documents with India’s High Commissioner to New Zealand Muanpuii Saiawi in New Zealand’s Parliament on September 21, 2026. Photo: X/@IndiainNZ

India and New Zealand on Monday (September 21, 2026) formally ratified the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries, New Zealand’s Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay said. The FTA will come into force on October 20, 2026, he added.

The two countries had inked the FTA on April 27, 2026, which was termed by Prime Ministers of both countries as a “historic” step towards deepening trade, investment, and people-to-people ties. The agreement will see New Zealand removing all tariffs on all goods imported from India, while India will remove or reduce tariffs on 95% of current imports from New Zealand.

Earlier this month, on September 16, New Zealand’s Parliament passed legislation to implement ​the FTA,.

“The New Zealand-India FTA will level the playing field and unlock access for Kiwi businesses in one of the fastest growing markets in the world,” Mr. McClay said today (September 21, 2026). “As global markets become more uncertain, it has never been more important for New Zealand exporters to diversify, build resilience and pursue new opportunities,” he added.

High Commissioner @MuanpuiiSaiawi and Hon @toddmcclaymp formally exchanged Diplomatic Notes confirming the completion of respective domestic legal processes for the India–New Zealand FTA, paving the way for its implementation from 20 October 2026. A significant milestone in… pic.twitter.com/8ja3ETXInU

In pursuance of the ratification, India and New Zealand formally exchanged Diplomatic Notes confirming the completion of respective domestic legal processes for the FTA.

Mr. McClay exchanged formal documents with India’s High Commissioner to New Zealand Muanpuii Saiawi in New Zealand’s Parliament today, confirming that New Zealand has completed all its necessary domestic procedures.

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.