Parliament Question: India-New Zealand FTA

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 855 ANSWERED ON 06/02/2026 INDIA-NEW ZEALAND FTA 855. SHRI SANJAY KUMAR JHA Will the Minister of COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY be pleased to state: (a) the sectors that have been excluded from the FTA in the recently agreed-upon India- New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA); (b) the Ministry’s projections for the quantum of trade in goods and services in USD between India and New Zealand between 2026 and 2030 against the backdrop of the FTA between India and New Zealand; and (c) States in India that are likely to benefit from the USD 20 billion investment that New Zealand has committed over the next fifteen years? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA) (a) In the India New Zealand FTA, India has offered tariff concessions on 70.03 % of its tariff lines to New Zealand. The remaining 29.97% of tariff lines have been kept in the exclusion list, and India’s exclusion list primarily includes products that are considered sensitive from a domestic perspective. The major exclusions are:  Dairy products (milk, cream, whey, yoghurt, cheese, etc.)  Animal products (other than sheep meat)  Vegetable products such as onions, chana, peas, corn, almonds, etc.  Sugar and sugar confectionery  Animal, vegetable or microbial fats and oils  Arms and ammunition  Gems and jewellery (Precious metals and finished jewellery products)  Copper and copper articles (cathodes, cartridges, rods, bars, coils, etc.)  Aluminum and aluminum articles (ingots, billets, wire bars) (b) The India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (IN-NZ FTA) provides a framework to facilitate the expansion of bilateral trade in goods and services through improved market access, reduction of trade barriers and enhanced regulatory cooperation. The Agreement is intended to support growth in bilateral trade over the medium to long term by providing free market access to Indian goods in the New Zealand market. The actual quantum of trade in goods and services will depend on several factors, including global economic conditions, market dynamics, exchange rate movements, and commercial considerations. (c) The USD 20 billion investment coming in will help across the Indian businesses and facilitate investment across all States bringing benefit to the people of the country. *****