India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement Offers Blueprint for Canada-India Trade Deal
India–New Zealand FTA seen as blueprint for Canada–India trade deal
Hindustan Times
Image: Hindustan Times
India's recent free trade agreement (FTA) with New Zealand serves as a potential model for Canada as it aims to finalize a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with India by the end of 2026. Observers believe that the FTA's quick negotiation process could guide Canada in achieving its trade goals.
- 01India's FTA with New Zealand could serve as a model for Canada.
- 02The goal is to finalize the Canada-India CEPA by the end of 2026.
- 03Negotiation speed of the New Zealand deal highlights the potential for Canada.
- 04Key challenges may include agriculture and labor mobility issues.
- 05High-level political engagements are planned to drive negotiations forward.
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India's recent free trade agreement (FTA) with New Zealand, finalized in just nine months, is being viewed as a template for Canada as it seeks to establish a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with India by the end of 2026. According to the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada, the FTA demonstrates that India can move quickly when negotiations are approached in good faith. Ritesh Malik, chair of the Canada-India Foundation, emphasized that New Zealand's approach—offering 100% duty-free access from the start and accepting asymmetry in tariff lines—could inform Canada's strategy. While Malik described the 2026 deadline as
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The successful negotiation of the CEPA could significantly enhance trade opportunities for Canadian businesses and consumers, leading to increased economic growth.
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