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Historic NZ-India FTA signed in New Delhi

Source: New Zealand Government

New Zealand and India have today signed a once-in-a-generation Free Trade Agreement (FTA) which will lead to more jobs and higher incomes for Kiwis, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay say.
 
Indian Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and Mr McClay signed the Agreement in New Delhi today in front of a large crowd of New Zealand and Indian businesspeople. 
 
“The benefits of this FTA are widespread, and our business community is excited to see the doors of opportunity open to 1.4 billion people whose economy is set to become the third largest in the world,” Mr Luxon says.

“One in four jobs are tied to trade. In signing this FTA we are setting businesses up to succeed, boosting Kiwi jobs and enabling economic growth – and that means more money in Kiwis’ pockets.” 
 
Mr McClay says the FTA supports New Zealand’s ambitious goal of doubling the value of exports in 10 years. 
 
“This deal will deliver thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in additional exports,” he says. 
 
“Creating opportunities for our businesses to diversify and create strong trading relationships provides economic security for New Zealanders – and that is crucial in these times of global unrest.”
 
Today’s signing ensures New Zealand is on track to benefit from a Most Favoured Nation clause for wine and services exports, whereby the better access the European Union has secured for its wine and services will be extended to our exporters if our agreement comes into force first. 
 
“That clause will be worth tens of millions of dollars in extra exports for the New Zealand economy,” Mr Luxon says. 
 
“Two-way trade is currently NZ$3.95 billion. The deal we have struck and the relationship we have built will grow this exponentially and deliver deep and lasting benefits for generations to come.”

Notes to editor:

The historic agreement was concluded in December and eliminates or reduces tariffs on 95 per cent of New Zealand’s exports – among the highest of any Indian FTA. Almost 57 per cent of our exports will be duty-free from day one including lamb, wool, coal, leather, most forestry and industrial products. This will increase to 82 per cent when fully implemented including infant formula, a kiwifruit quota almost four times our current exports and seafood. The remaining 13 per cent including kiwifruit, apples, mānuka honey, wine and some dairy is subject to sharp tariff cuts.

Signing activates the standard parliamentary process, allowing Parliament and the public to scrutinise the agreement through the Select Committee. The FTA text and National lnterest Analysis will be tabled in Parliament tomorrow and referred to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee (FADTC). 

Once FADTC has completed its examination, enabling legislation will be introduced and will follow the usual legislative process. This approach is consistent with that taken for the TPP, CPTPP, and agreements with the United Kingdom, European Union, and United Arab Emirates.

Key outcomes for New Zealand include:   

  • Tariff elimination or reduction on 95 per cent of our exports.
  • Duty-free access on almost 57 per cent of New Zealand’s exports from day one, increasing to 82 per cent when fully implemented, with the remaining 13 per cent being subject to sharp tariff cuts.
  • Immediate tariff elimination on sheep meat, wool, coal and over 95 per cent of forestry and wood exports.
  • Duty-free access on most seafood exports, including mussels and salmon, over seven years. 
  • Duty-free access on most iron, steel and scrap aluminium, over 10 years or less. 
  • Duty-free access for most industrial products, over five to 10 years. 
  • 50 per cent tariff cut for large quota of apples – nearly double recent average exports.
  • Duty-free access for kiwifruit within a quota almost four times our recent average exports, and tariff halved for exports outside of quota. 
  • Duty-free access for cherries, avocados, persimmons and blueberries, over 10 years. 
  • Tariffs on wine reduced from 150 per cent to either 25 or 50 per cent (depending on the value of the wine) over 10 years plus a Most Favoured Nation (MFN) commitment. 
  • Tariffs on mānuka honey cut from 66 per cent to 16.5 per cent over five years. 
  • MFN status and liberalisation across services exports. 
  • Duty-free access for dairy and other food ingredients for re-export from day one. 
  • Duty-free access for bulk infant formula and other high-value dairy preparations over seven years.
  • 50 per cent tariff cut for high value milk albumins within a NZ-specific quota equal to current export volumes.       
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Modern Home Styling Trends

Source: Press Release Service

Headline: Modern Home Styling Trends

This press release highlights modern home decor trends in New Zealand, focusing on stylish vases, lighting, and statement pieces. It showcases how Cavelh Decor offers simple, elegant designs that help homeowners create balanced, personalised, and visually appealing living spaces.

The post Modern Home Styling Trends first appeared on PR.co.nz.

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Watch: Trade Minister Todd McClay to sign India FTA in New Delhi

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand’s Trade Minister will soon sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with India in New Delhi.

Todd McClay is there with a delegation of MPs and about 30 business representatives.

He is set to sign the agreement at about 10pm NZST.

Labour confirmed last week it would back the deal after New Zealand First refused to do so.

The signing marked the end of 16 years of attempted negotiations and brings New Zealand greater market access to India’s 1.4 billion customers, McClay said.

It also included up to 5000 temporary work visas for Indian professionals.

McClay said despite it being the second-fastest agreement New Zealand has negotiated, it has not been rushed.

The Council of Trade Unions, meanwhile, has slammed the deal, saying it risks enshrining exploitative labour conditions.

Watch the signing on the livestream at the top of this page.

Trade Minister Todd McClay with New Zealand’s High Commission, MPs and business delegation ahead of a signing ceremony in New Delhi for the India free trade agreement. Supplied

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Council of trade unions calls for transparency on India-New Zealand Free Trade agreement

Source: Radio New Zealand

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon meets India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi in March 2025. Piyal Bhattacharya / The Times of India via AFP

The Council of Trade Unions (CTU) says keeping unions and the public in the dark on the India-New Zealand Free Trade agreement means the deal risks enshrining exploitative labour conditions.

The deal will be formally signed on Monday night in New Delhi, with the full text expected to be made public on Tuesday.

CTU president Sandra Gray said there had been a complete lack of consultation with unions and the public.

A deal of this size warranted a tripartite approach from unions, business and government, she said.

“In this case, we have seen absolutely nothing. It’s being signed without unions even seeing the text, let alone contributing to the conversation.”

The Labour Party – whose support the government required to get the agreement through parliament – agreed to back the deal just days ago.

Asked if that was premature, given the CTU’s concerns about the deal’s contents, Gray reiterated the importance of including international labour standards in the agreement.

“I think we get very wound up in this idea that larger governments are going to walk away from free trade agreements with us if we don’t just get in and sign on the dotted line. I think we need to hold on to our sovereignty and say New Zealand needs to make sure it is acting ethically and rightly when it comes to workers’ rights.

“We’ve been really, really strong defenders of international law for decades and decades. We should not give up on that, and we should make sure that we use proper scrutiny of anything we sign and that includes unions being at the table.”

The organisation accepted the need for free trade agreements, but wanted confirmation international labour agreements were being adhered to, Gray said.

“My fear around this trade agreement because unions have not been involved is that we’re going to end up buying products and exchanging goods and doing free trade with really, really hostile work environments in India that really exploit workers.

“We don’t know, because we haven’t seen the agreement, but why are they hiding it from the public? Why are they hiding it from unions if it’s a good, fair trade agreement?”

The Maritime Services Union (MSU) last week called on the government to hold off signing the deal until it publicly released the text.

National Secretary Carl Findlay said the government’s secretive approach was an insult to workers.

He also raised concerns about 5000 temporary skilled work visas included in the deal, given high unemployment and infrastructure and housing deficits.

Sandra Gray said the CTU was less concerned about the temporary work visas than secrecy surrounding the deal, which made it impossible to know what labour standards had been agreed to.

Findlay’s comments came as New Zealand First minister Shane Jones made racist remarks on the deal’s immigration implications.

Gray would not be drawn on whether the MSU should be focused on the visa issue amid heightened xenophobic rhetoric.

“The Maritime Union has a stronger idea of what’s right for their members and for their union.”

Political parties should be cautious with their comments, Gray said, noting New Zealand First’s opposition was “built on a moment in time we have to be very careful not to get drawn into”.

“Government parties in particular need to pay real attention to the tone they’re setting for our country around migrants, immigrants and anyone who is coming to work here.”

Temporary migrant numbers ‘relatively small’

Immigration consultant Paul Janssen said New Zealand had agreements, that included visa programmes, with a number of countries and the figures in the India-New Zealand deal were comparatively low.

“In terms of the number of temporary migrants we bring in, it’s a relatively small number, given it’s 1667 per year, capped at 5000 for three years.

“That represents a small number of people and given the skill level they’re aiming for, I think it’s a drop in the bucket, really.”

The vast majority of the visas in the deal were for occupations on the Immigration New Zealand green list of in-demand, hard-to-fill roles, Janssen said.

An Indian government press release said the visas would be in “sectors of interest to India which include Indian iconic occupations (AYUSH practitioners, yoga instructors, Indian chefs and music teachers) and other sectors of interest – IT, Engineering, Healthcare, Education and Construction.”

AYUSH stands for traditional medical systems Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy.

The 1000 working holiday visas paled in comparison to other countries, such as the United Kingdom, which New Zealand offers 15,000 working holiday visas, or the 3000 places offered to young Koreans a year, Janssen said.

“This isn’t new – this is something we’ve done and do quite often, so it’s interesting we get different levels of commentary depending on which country we’re dealing with.”

He said Immigration NZ had rigourous processes.

“We go through quite a lot of work to make sure the people coming into the country are well vetted, so it isn’t simply submitting an application and away you go.

“There’s a lot that goes into the background, particularly when you’re looking at temporary visas where Immigration assesses the applicant’s genuine intent to come for a temporary purpose, whether they have the right skills – there’s a lot of hoops to jump through… and it isn’t a cheap exercise, there’s a lot of investment on the applicant’s part.”

New Zealand needed to recognise the added value and improved productivity provided by skilled migrants, he said.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

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Phone, video appointments part of Health Sector Fuel Response Plan

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Health Ministry expects health services would be prioritised for fuel allocation with no caps. RNZ / Angus Dreaver

The Ministry of Health is finalising the Health Sector Fuel Response Plan, which could see more tele-health consultations under escalation of the government’s National Fuel Plan.

The ministry said it was working with Health New Zealand, Pharmac and other health agencies to identify and manage any emerging risks.

“Our priority is making sure people can continue to access the health services, medicines and medical devices they need,” a Ministry of Health spokesperson said.

In Phase 2, it said, the health system would look to reduce fuel use where possible, while maintaining patient access and continuity of care.

“This may include health service providers offering phone or video appointments for some services, where appropriate, while ensuring people can still access in-person care when it is needed.”

At Phases 3 and 4, the government would introduce measures to manage the supply of fuel and prioritise access. The exact details of those phases were still under consultation, but assurances had been given that essential services like food supply and emergency response were fully protected

“Our expectation is that most or all health services will be categorised as life-supporting or essential, and would therefore be prioritised for fuel allocation with no caps,” a Ministry of Health spokesperson said.

Patient advocate wants patients’ needs prioritised

Patient Voice Aotearoa chair Malcolm Mulholland didn’t want to see barriers or patients being financially penalised by the fuel crisis.

“It’s important that patients who do need to be seen physically by a medical professional are not disadvantaged or have a barrier put in front of them by the way of fuel costs,” he said.

“If barriers are put in place, then patients won’t get the care that they so desperately need, on occasion, so it’s really important that is a major factor in the decision-making moving forward.”

Mulholland said it was also important people were aware there were some cases where they needed to be seen physically, and not by phone or video consult.

He said an increase in tele-health consults could also have a knock-on effect for emergency departments,

“If patients have barriers put in place to see their GP, then it will result in EDs becoming flooded, because that is the natural place where people go, if they can’t get primary care.”

The latest government data shows New Zealand’s fuel stocks have continued to fall, but movements remain within expectations.

The figures, published on Monday but accurate to midday on Wednesday, showed 51.8 days of petrol, 41.3 days of diesel, and 45.7 days of jet fuel.

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Two charged after Northland and Waitematā motorists forced to stop, threatened with gun

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police have arrested two people, who are due to appear in the North Shore District Court on Monday 4 May on a number of charges. RNZ / REECE BAKER

Police have laid charges after two separate incidents in which motorists were followed, forced to stop and threatened with a firearm.

Detective Senior Sergeant Ben Bergin said in a media release both events occurred last Saturday, one in Northland one in Waitematā.

Police have arrested two people, who are due to appear in the North Shore District Court on Monday 4 May on a number of charges related to the offending.

That included intentional damage, dangerous driving, possession of methamphetamine for supply and committing an imprisonable offence with a weapon, Bergin said.

“These incidents left the victims understandably shaken, and we acted swiftly to locate those we believe to be responsible.

“We will not tolerate this intimidating and violent offending.”

The alleged offenders were aged 46 and 30 from Bay of Plenty and Northland respectively.

Police said they were not ruling out that there may be other victims from similar incidents on Saturday.

They would like to hear from anyone who may have been targeted in a similar way – such as being followed, forced to stop, or threatened with a firearm last Saturday in the Northland or Waitematā area, Bergin said.

Police were also working to determine whether the reports were linked to a firearm that was found in the Mangawhai area on the same day, and handed into them.

Police were asking anyone with information about these incidents to contact them through the 105 service, either online or over the phone with the reference number 260425/4175.

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Crusaders push for repeat Super Rounds in Christchurch

Source: Radio New Zealand

Fans during the Super Rugby Pacific Super Round match between the Crusaders and Waratahs at One NZ Stadium, Christchurch, 24th April 2026. Photosport

The Crusaders are pushing to host next year’s Super Round on the back of the success of the Super Rugby Pacific extravaganza at Christchurch’s new stadium.

The prospect for a three-year deal to host Super Round is also on the cards, with Super Rugby Pacific chief executive Jack Mesley enthusiastic about the idea at a press conference after the Chiefs beat the Fijian Drua in the final match on Sunday night.

However, other team franchises are also keen to host the next round, which involves five matches being played at the same venue over three days, with Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph already suggesting Dunedin as the venue for next year.

“There are interested other parties, but obviously these guys, the Crusaders and the city backed it to bring it back, so you know we will certainly be starting there. But we will have conversations with other places as well,” Mesley said.

Crusaders boss Colin Mansbridge is pushing hard for a repeat, on the back of the success of Anzac weekend, with Christchurch New Zealand chief executive Ali Adams also very happy with the result.

“We’ve had about over 70,000 people through, about 13,000 people from out of town and it should bring in well over $6 million of visitor spend and I think that’s probably conservative,” Adams told the press conference.

Xavier Tito-Harris makes a break for the Highlanders against Moana Pasikia during their Super Round Super Rugby Pacific match at One New Zealand Stadium, Christchurch, April 26, 2026. Photosport

“When we do the final wash-up it feels like because we had such good weather and people were out and about spending money, it feels like I think we’ll over-deliver so we’re really thrilled.”

Mesley described it as “an incredible long weekend for Super Rugby Pacific”, which included three sellout crowds at the 25,000 seater stadium and exceeded his organisation’s high hopes for the weekend.

It started with [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/593355/live-super-rugby-pacific-crusaders-v-nsw-waratahs-at-te-kaha-one-new-zealand-stadium the Crusaders winning their first game at Te Kaha, beating the Waratahs 35-20 on Friday night, before [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/593415/super-rugby-pacific-hurricanes-v-act-brumbies the Hurricanes cleaned up the Brumbies 45-12 and [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/593420/super-rugby-pacific-blues-survive-another-late-scare-to-go-top the Blues just got home over the Reds, 36-33, on Saturday.

On Sunday, the Highlanders beat Moana Pasifika 27-17, before the Chiefs closed out the weekend with a 42-22 win over the Fijian Drua.

Mesley will be having discussions with the Crusaders, Christchurch NZ and other franchises about next year’s venue and the possibility of a multi-year deal.

The rugby weekend follows Supercars racing in Christchurch for the first time last weekend as part of three-year-deal.

Adams said the best events are ones “rooted in a place and stay there”.

“So we would love to be able to make this a bit of a super week that we can start to sort of re-own here in Christchurch.”

She said Christchurch had a lot in its favour for hosting events.

“Having the stadium in the central city and having the capacity that we’ve got in terms of hotels and beds makes a huge difference. And the fact that you … jump out of your plane at the airport, 20 minutes you’re in the city and you can walk everywhere. That’s pretty hard to replicate. So we will be talking about that as advantages as we try and get Jack to sign on the dotted line.”

Asked about the prospect of crowds dropping away in future years after the drawcard of a stadium opening, Mesley said he was confident they wouldn’t.

“I think what you saw in there is an environment in the stadium that fans want. And it has been missing in New Zealand probably since the sevens, from everything I know. So I think there is an event here that people want. I don’t think that is relying on the opening of a stadium. And I think it can become something very special.”

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Body found in Kaipara harbour believed to be missing man, police say

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police said they would like to thank all those who assisted with the search for the man. RNZ / REECE BAKER

Police believe they have found the body of a man who went missing from a North Auckland beach last week.

A person was found dead at about 2.45pm on Sunday near the wharf at Kaipara Harbour on Shelly Beach Road, police said.

While formal identification was yet to be carried out, police said they believed it was the man who went missing after entering the water on 19 April.

“Our thoughts are with the man’s family and loved ones at this difficult time.”

Police said they would like to thank all those who assisted with the search for the man.

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Fatal crash in Taranaki

Source: Radio New Zealand

A sign saying ‘road closed’. Pretoria Gordon / RNZ

One person is dead following a crash in Kapuni, Taranaki.

The single-vehicle accident happened around 12.10pm at the intersection of Skeet Road and Palmer Road.

Police said the road was closed while an investigation took place, and advised motorists to take alternate routes.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand