NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India and New Zealand concluded the second round of free trade agreement talks in New Delhi on Friday, making progress in areas including goods, services, investment, and trade facilitation, India’s commerce ministry said.
The talks, held from July 14 to 25, follow the launch of negotiations in March during New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s visit to India. The third round will be held in New Zealand in September, with virtual meetings planned before then.
This comes a day after India signed a trade pact with Britain and as it continues negotiations with the European Union and the United States.
Both sides aim to conclude a “balanced, comprehensive and forward-looking” deal, the ministry said in a statement.
India’s merchandise trade with New Zealand rose 48.6% year-on-year to $1.3 billion in the 2024/25 fiscal year that ended in March.
The proposed deal is expected to boost trade, investment, and supply chain resilience.
(Reporting by Manoj Kumar; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
