The India-New Zealand free trade agreement (FTA) is likely to come into effect in October 2026, with the New Zealand parliament passing legislation providing legal sanction to the trade pact, an Indian government official said on Wednesday, September 16.
India expects the FTA to become operational in the second half of October, with October 19 being the indicative date of effect, by when both countries will have completed the operational procedures, secretary of India's ministry of commerce, Rajesh Agarwal, said in a statement.
The India-New Zealand FTA, signed by the two countries in April this year, provides duty-free access to New Zealand for 100 percent of Indian exports once the agreement comes into force.
More than half of New Zealand's exports covered by the agreement will become duty-free from the first day of implementation, while tariffs on 95 percent of its exports to India will be eliminated or significantly reduced once the agreement is fully implemented.
