NZ and India take first FTA steps
New Zealand Herald, Auckland
NZ and India take first FTA steps
23 April 2007
New Zealand has agreed to study the potential for a free trade agreement with India, Trade Minister Phil Goff said at the weekend.
The study, agreed in principle with India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath, would consider what a trade agreement could mean for the two countries, Goff said in a statement. It would be progressed at a joint trade commission meeting planned for September.
India, Asia’s fourth-biggest economy, plans to increase its exports by 20 per cent annually through 2010 to boost jobs and incomes among its 1.1 billion people. It was the second fastest growing market for New Zealand exporters in the year ended February, Goff said.
"India is becoming an increasingly important market and trading partner for New Zealand," he said. "Growth in tourist and student numbers from India are also making a significant contribution."
BLOOMBERG
