ISSUE
Friday, August 22, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 73
National Party Leader Chris Luxon says that building and maintaining intense political relationships is key to cracking a trade deal with India, something which has been missing under the current government.
Acknowledging that India is a difficult trade market to unlock, Luxon emphasised that consistent and regular conversations between the Ministers of the two countries and maintaining a vibrant political relationship at the top level were the key to success in cracking a trade deal with India.
“…if you don’t build relationships, you haven’t got your trade minister picking up the phone and having the conversations every couple of weeks and just keeping the intensity there [it is not easy to more negotiations forward],” Luxon said.
Luxon was speaking with the Indian Weekender in an exclusive interview over the weekend when the news of the signing of a wide-ranging economic pact between India and Australia came out that would potentially give duty-free access to more than 85 per cent of Australian products in the Indian market.
Notably, both Australia and New Zealand have been in trade talks with India negotiating a Free Trade Agreement, with intermittent phases of intense activity followed by a long period of lull.
However, in recent years Australia has re-prioritised and re-invented its strategic relationship with India, including demonstrating the highest level of political commitment to work towards a comprehensive trade agreement, while New Zealand has drifted cluelessly, failing to invest any political energy to unlock a trade agreement with India.
“I was really interested to see that development because India has been the place where under the Key government, we were there for a lot of time into a discussion around free trade agreement or more bilateral trade.”
“There is actually very little flow of trade between New Zealand and India. So, there is really a big opportunity there for us. I have been to India many times, and the potential there is immense.”
“NZ is so preoccupied with its own internal dynamics …we are being a small inward fearful internal game here in NZ and not an expansive, confident, aspirational outward game. We do need to engage with the world. I don’t think that this government is putting nearly enough effort in our trading relationship Building and maintaining that relationship,” Luxon concluded.
National Party Leader Chris Luxon says that building and maintaining intense political relationships is key to cracking a trade deal with India, something which has been missing under the current government.
Acknowledging that India is a difficult trade market to unlock, Luxon emphasised that...
National Party Leader Chris Luxon says that building and maintaining intense political relationships is key to cracking a trade deal with India, something which has been missing under the current government.
Acknowledging that India is a difficult trade market to unlock, Luxon emphasised that consistent and regular conversations between the Ministers of the two countries and maintaining a vibrant political relationship at the top level were the key to success in cracking a trade deal with India.
“…if you don’t build relationships, you haven’t got your trade minister picking up the phone and having the conversations every couple of weeks and just keeping the intensity there [it is not easy to more negotiations forward],” Luxon said.
Luxon was speaking with the Indian Weekender in an exclusive interview over the weekend when the news of the signing of a wide-ranging economic pact between India and Australia came out that would potentially give duty-free access to more than 85 per cent of Australian products in the Indian market.
Notably, both Australia and New Zealand have been in trade talks with India negotiating a Free Trade Agreement, with intermittent phases of intense activity followed by a long period of lull.
However, in recent years Australia has re-prioritised and re-invented its strategic relationship with India, including demonstrating the highest level of political commitment to work towards a comprehensive trade agreement, while New Zealand has drifted cluelessly, failing to invest any political energy to unlock a trade agreement with India.
“I was really interested to see that development because India has been the place where under the Key government, we were there for a lot of time into a discussion around free trade agreement or more bilateral trade.”
“There is actually very little flow of trade between New Zealand and India. So, there is really a big opportunity there for us. I have been to India many times, and the potential there is immense.”
“NZ is so preoccupied with its own internal dynamics …we are being a small inward fearful internal game here in NZ and not an expansive, confident, aspirational outward game. We do need to engage with the world. I don’t think that this government is putting nearly enough effort in our trading relationship Building and maintaining that relationship,” Luxon concluded.
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