‘Tariff-free from day one’: New Zealand PM’s big announcement ahead of PM Modi visit

AHead up of ground government minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled see to young Zealand, his counterpart Christopher Luxon on Thursday hailed the proposed India-New Zealand trade deal, saying it would deliver a major boost to New Zealand businesses by expanding access to the Indian market.Highlighting the economic benefits of the agreement, Luxon said 57 per cent of Wellington's exports to New Delhi would be “tariff free from day one”.In a post on X, Luxon said, “New Zealand businesses are set to boom with our India Trade Deal. 57 per cent of everything we export to India will be tariff free from day one.” The announcement comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day state visit to New Zealand from July 10 to 11 at the invitation of PM Luxon. The trip will mark the first state visit by an Indian prime minister to New Zealand in nearly four decades.During his stay in Auckland, Modi is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with his Australian counterpart Luxon and review the full spectrum of ties between the two countries.According to a government release, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit will focus on strengthening cooperation across key sectors, including trade, commerce and defence. The Prime Minister’s Office said bilateral ties have gained “significant momentum in recent years”, particularly in these areas.During his stay in Auckland, Modi is also expected to interact with leading business and sports personalities and address a large gathering of the Indian diaspora, reflecting the strong people-to-people links between the two countries.Focus on Indo-Pacific tiesNew Zealand is the final stop on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-nation tour, which began in Indonesia on July 6 and is currently underway in Australia. The visit is part of India’s broader push to deepen engagement with key partners in the Indo-Pacific region, with a focus on expanding cooperation in trade, investment, defence, technology and critical minerals.The visits are also expected to advance India’s Act East policy and reinforce efforts to promote a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.The tour comes amid shifting geopolitical dynamics in the Indo-Pacific, including evolving US-China relations and growing concerns among regional countries over Beijing’s increasingly assertive actions. Against this backdrop, India and its partners have been seeking to strengthen resilient supply chains, diversify economic partnerships and reduce overdependence on any single market.