Agra: The free trade agreement (FTA) with New Zealand, scheduled to be signed on Monday, will provide huge opportunities for domestic firms, including leather exporters from the city of the Taj Mahal, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said Sunday. Goyal is here with the visiting New Zealand’s trade and investment minister Todd McClay. The ministers held discussions with businesses from different sectors, including leather and sports goods. The FTA aims to double bilateral trade and facilitate duty-free access to the island nation’s markets for Indian companies, as well as bring in $20 billion of investment over the next 15 years. “Goods exported from India to New Zealand will go without any tax, creating significant opportunities, including for Agra’s leather industry and other sectors,” Goyal said, adding that the pact would also help promote two-way commerce, which stood at around $2.4 billion. Goyal will hold a meeting with representatives of export promotion councils and industry associations on Monday to discuss ways to boost the outbound shipments, an official said. The meeting will be held after India and New Zealand sign the free trade pact. agencies
