Piyush Goyal Hints At Possibility Of Signing Free Trade Agreement With New Zealand Soon

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, on Tuesday, hinted at the possibility of signing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with New Zealand soon.

“For about 20 years, discussions have been going on in New Zealand for FTA (Free Trade Agreement), but it was not getting done due to some reason. It was set aside. PM Modi set a target of Viksit Bharat 2047 before everyone. For that, it is essential to further expand our relations with developed countries,” Goyal was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

He further added that discussions have been going on between New Zealand and India for the past six months. “There is a possibility of FTA really fast. I hope we will decide on an FTA soon between the two nations which will be beneficial for both countries.”

India and New Zealand have begun the fourth round of negotiations for their proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA), marking another key step toward strengthening bilateral economic ties.

The talks, being held in Auckland from November 3 to 7, aim to advance discussions on building a balanced, comprehensive, and mutually beneficial partnership between the two nations.

The current round focuses on crucial areas such as Trade in Goods, Trade in Services, and Rules of Origin. Both sides are working to resolve pending issues from previous rounds and move toward the early conclusion of the agreement.