♦ Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22 December 2025 held a telephone conversation with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, during which the two leaders jointly announced the conclusion of a landmark India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The agreement has been finalised in a record nine months since negotiations were initiated during PM Luxon’s visit to India in March 2025. 

♦ The FTA provides zero-duty market access on 100 per cent of New Zealand’s tariff lines, granting duty-free access for all Indian exports. India has offered tariff liberalisation on about 70 per cent of tariff lines, covering nearly 95 per cent of bilateral trade. To protect farmers and domestic industry, market access excludes sensitive sectors such as dairy, coffee, milk and milk products, sugar, spices, edible oils, rubber and onions.