New Zealand’s parliament on Wednesday (September 16, 2026) passed legislation to implement ​a free trade agreement (FTA) with India, ‌under which tariffs on about ​95% of New Zealand exports ⁠to India would be eliminated or significantly reduced.

The legislation passed by a ‌vote of 93–29, with support from the opposition Labour ‌Party.

More than half ‌of ⁠all products covered would ⁠become duty-free from the day it takes effect.

“For exporters, the benefits are immediate and substantial. From day one, 57% of New Zealand’s exports to India will become duty-free,” New Zealand ‌Trade Minister Todd McClay said in a statement.

“Once fully implemented, tariffs are eliminated or significantly reduced on 95 per cent of our exports. That means real savings and real opportunities. The kiwifruit industry alone expects to save around $125 million in tariffs over five years,” he added.

“Added to this are faster border clearance and preferential access to a fast-growing middle class that is demanding high-quality food, fibre, technology, education, tourism and professional services. The FTA is also future-proofed through most-favoured-nation commitments for wine and key services sectors.

“Negotiations were announced in March 2025, and we expect this high-quality agreement to enter into force this year, delivering on our promise to complete an FTA with India this term,” Mr McClay says.

Under the deal, all Indian goods will receive duty-free access to ‌New Zealand. Wellington has also agreed to invest $20 billion in India over the next 15 years. Both nations originally signed the trade agreement in April.

“Exporters will be able to use this agreement to build new relationships, sell more of our world-class products, and contribute to the goal agreed by Prime Ministers Modi and Luxon [New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon] of doubling two-way trade by 2030.”

Two-way trade totalled NZ$3.99 billion ($2.29 billion) in the ​year to June 2026, with India ranking as ⁠New Zealand’s ninth-largest goods and services export ⁠market.

The trade deal will become effective after both ‌nations complete their respective ratification procedures.

(With inputs from Reuters)

The European Commission has forwarded the text of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement to the European Council for its signature and conclusion, signalling that the legal vetting and finalisation of the text have been completed and all that remains are the internal approvals.

“Today, the European Commission has put forward its proposals to the Council for the signature and conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the European Union and India, seeking authorisation for its signature and conclusion,” the Commission said in a statement on Friday (September 11, 2026). 

The EU’s Ambassador-designate to India and Bhutan Jean-Eric Paquet took to X to celebrate the achievement, saying this would “clear the path for early approval”, and adding that the full text of the agreement was now being made public.

The European Council is the top political body of the European Union, framing the grouping’s political goals. The European Commission acts as the EU’s executive body and proposes new laws. The European Parliament votes and passes these new laws. 

“With its proposals, the Commission is seeking Council’s approval to sign the agreements which will then require European Parliament’s consent, before conclusion and entry into force,” the statement said. “The Indian authorities are in parallel going through their own internal ratification procedures.”

It added that the proposal to sign and conclude the FTA text is in line with the fast-track procedure laid out by EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič earlier this year. 

“The procedure aims at speeding up the implementation of FTAs, which is crucial at a time of geopolitical uncertainty and growing pressure on the global trading system,” the statement said. Leaders on both sides have repeatedly expressed their confidence that the FTA will come into force in early 2027.

The European Commission has forwarded the text of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement to the European Council for its signature and conclusion, signalling that the legal vetting and finalisation of the text have been completed and all that remains are the internal approvals.

“Today, the European Commission has put forward its proposals to the Council for the signature and conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the European Union and India, seeking authorisation for its signature and conclusion,” the Commission said in a statement on Friday (September 11, 2026). 

The EU’s Ambassador-designate to India and Bhutan Jean-Eric Paquet took to X to celebrate the achievement, saying this would “clear the path for early approval”, and adding that the full text of the agreement was now being made public.

The European Council is the top political body of the European Union, framing the grouping’s political goals. The European Commission acts as the EU’s executive body and proposes new laws. The European Parliament votes and passes these new laws. 

“With its proposals, the Commission is seeking Council’s approval to sign the agreements which will then require European Parliament’s consent, before conclusion and entry into force,” the statement said. “The Indian authorities are in parallel going through their own internal ratification procedures.”

It added that the proposal to sign and conclude the FTA text is in line with the fast-track procedure laid out by EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič earlier this year. 

“The procedure aims at speeding up the implementation of FTAs, which is crucial at a time of geopolitical uncertainty and growing pressure on the global trading system,” the statement said. Leaders on both sides have repeatedly expressed their confidence that the FTA will come into force in early 2027.

India has reviewed the negotiations on a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), as the country’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Vipul, held wide-ranging talks with the secretary general of the six-nation bloc, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, in Riyadh.

The meeting took place on Sunday (August 23, 2026), where both sides discussed ways to strengthen India-GCC relations, exchanged views on regional and international developments, and reviewed preparations for a Ministerial meeting scheduled next month, the GCC Secretariat said in a statement.

The meeting assumes significance as India and the GCC resumed negotiations in February for a comprehensive trade agreement aimed at boosting bilateral trade and investment, even though the talks were temporarily stalled in June because of the West Asia crisis.

The GCC comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and was established in 1981 as a political, economic and security grouping.

During Sunday’s (August 23) meeting, India and the GCC also affirmed the importance of continued coordination and consultations on issues of common interest to contribute to regional security and stability, the GCC statement said.

“Both discussed India-GCC cooperation, including FTA negotiations and strengthening high-level engagements. They also exchanged views on regional and global developments of mutual interest,” the Indian Embassy in Riyadh said in a post on X.

The GCC is India’s largest trading partner bloc, with bilateral trade reaching $178.56 billion in 2024-25, accounting for 15.42% of India’s global trade, according to official data. India’s exports to the GCC stood at about $56.87 billion during the period, while imports were valued at $121.68 billion.

Key Indian exports include engineering goods, rice, textiles, machinery, gems and jewellery, while imports are dominated by crude oil, LNG, petrochemicals and gold.

The GCC countries are also a major source of investment for India, with cumulative investments exceeding $31.14 billion as of September 2025.

The region, a major source of remittances, is home to nearly 10 million members of the Indian community.

The latest negotiations mark a resumption of talks that were held in 2006 and 2008, before the GCC deferred discussions on free trade agreements with countries and economic groupings.

Meanwhile, India has already implemented a trade pact with the UAE and signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with Oman.

India is in negotiations with at least 8 to 9 more groups of countries and individual nations that together account for another $15 trillion of GDP, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday (August 24, 2026).

He added that the country’s free trade agreements would eventually cover about 75% of global trade and help position India as a trusted partner in global value chains.

India has a large domestic market and it opens its doors to the world with nine free trade agreements signed in the last four years, he said in Tokyo, while addressing business representatives from India and Japan.

These nine agreements cover economies with a combined GDP of $60 trillion and 38 developed countries.

The earlier trade pacts with countries, including Japan and Korea , and the ASEAN region have opened another $10 trillion of GDP.

“So today India opens up the doors to preferential market access to USD 70 trillion of economy. We are in negotiations with at least 8 or 9 other groups of countries or countries which will add another $15 trillion.

“Basically 75% of global trade will be covered through our free trade agreements, opening India to become a part of the global value chain as a trusted partner,” he said.

Mr. Goyal is leading a large business delegation of over 200 representatives here to boost trade and investment ties between the two countries. He said that large opportunities for investments in India are there in areas like data centres, manufacturing and artificial intelligence.

The Minister added that the increasing economic ties should lead towards balanced trade between India and Japan.

India and New Zealand will on Monday (April 27, 2026) sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that will remove tariffs on 100% of India’s exports to New Zealand, and either sharply reduce or remove tariffs on 95% of current imports from New Zealand.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday (April 25, 2026) took to social media to welcome Todd McClay, New Zealand’s Minister for Trade & Investment to New Delhi ahead of the signing of the agreement.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday (December 10, 2025) said negotiations for Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with Oman and New Zealand are in their last phase, and both are expected to be concluded soon. He also indicated that negotiations for a trade pact with South American nation Chile will also be concluded soon.

The talks for a pact with Oman are in the last leg, Mr. Goyal said, adding that New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay is visiting New Delhi on Friday (December 12, 2025) for FTAs negotiations, as that are also reaching the last phase.

Meanwhile, the Commerce Ministry in a statement said after three rounds of intensive negotiations from November 2023 till March 2024, both sides reached an agreement on all CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) components, including text and market access offers.

A Cabinet proposal submitted in March 2024 was deferred, prompting further renegotiations, it said. The fourth round on September 2024 and fifth round on January 13 and 14, 2025 focused on revised offers.

“Following approval of the competent authority, the Draft Cabinet Note for signing and ratification was circulated to relevant Ministries. Both sides are now in the process of securing internal approvals,” it added.

On a trade agreement with Israel, Mr. Goyal said recently he held a meeting with Israeli Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat, and both sides have appointed their chief negotiators for the proposed pact.

Last month in Tel Aviv, the two countries inked Terms of Reference (ToR) to formally launch negotiations for the agreement. “We hope that the first phase will happen with Israel,” Mr. Goyal told reporters in Jaipur.

Mr. Goyal was here to participate in the Pravasi Rajasthani Divas. He added that in the last few days, “we have held” a series of meetings with leaders of different countries on trade-related issues.

“India has become an attractive destination for trade and global investors. Several countries are keen to have trade pacts with India,” Mr. Goyal added.

The Ministry also said India and Israel have been negotiating a FTA since 2010, completing ten rounds covering 280 tariff lines or product categories.

Although both sides agreed in October 2021 to relaunch the negotiations, progress stalled due to Israel’s reluctance to provide the meaningful services market access sought by India, particularly regarding the temporary movement of IT professionals and highly skilled workers.

“Negotiations have since been revived, and in November 2025, India and Israel signed the ToR for the proposed FTA, paving the way for the formal resumption of discussions,” it said. Further, it said the India-Maldives FTA Terms of Reference for a trade pact were signed on July 3, 2025, in Male.

The ToR sets the framework and scope for the upcoming FTA negotiations. Negotiations have been launched for the agreement.

India and Qatar, too, are finalising a ToR to launch talks for a free trade pact. A similar exercise is also underway between India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

India and New Zealand began the fourth round of negotiations towards a free trade agreement, with the Indian team visiting Auckland until November 7, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced on Monday (November 3, 2025).

“Negotiations in this round are focusing on key areas, including trade in goods, trade in services, and rules of origin,” the statement added. “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.”

Rules of origin, which determine the source of any product, are a key obstacle in India’s FTA negotiations with the European Union as well.

The negotiations on the FTA with New Zealand were launched on March 16 by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Todd McClay, Minister for Trade and Investment, New Zealand.

The first round of negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which includes Russia, is likely to take place in early November, according to the Russian embassy. However, this is yet to be confirmed by the Indian government.

In addition, the next two months are going to see rounds of negotiations for FTAs between India and the EU, Chile, Peru, and a review of the FTA with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

In a statement, the Embassy of Russia in India said that the Minister in charge of Trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission Andrey Slepnev met Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on September 15.

Also Read | India, European Union reaffirm commitment to early conclusion of FTA talks: Piyush Goyal

“The Ministers agreed on an approach under which the first round of negotiations is set to take place in early November this year in India and focus on discussing the core aspects of the future deal,” the statement said. “It will be preceded by intensive consultations between the Commission, Indian partners, and the EAEU Member States.”

The Indian government, however, has not confirmed the date of the first round of negotiations.

According to a source in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the next round of negotiations for the FTA between India and the European Union will take place on October 6-10.

A second source, close to the negotiations, said that “almost all” issues pertaining to India-EU FTA have been resolved, and that an early harvest deal could also be on the cards. This comes at a time when the EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič last week said that the two sides will meet the December-end deadline for the conclusion of negotiations on the full FTA.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission on Wednesday (September 17, 2025) posted on X that “we are committed to finalising our trade agreement [with India] by the end of the year”.

The sources in the Ministry further confirmed that the next rounds of negotiations on the India-Chile FTA would take place on October 27-31 , and for the India-Peru FTA on November 3-5.

Further, the next meeting to review the FTA with the ASEAN countries is expected on 6-7 October, with the source saying that the review is “expected to be concluded by year-end”.