Foreign Minister of New Zealand Winston Peters has strongly criticized the new free trade agreement between India and New Zealand, saying that the agreement is neither free nor fair. Winston Peters has said that his party New Zealand First (NZF) will strongly oppose the agreement in Parliament.

In his statement Winston Peters said that the agreement is not in New Zealand’s interest because it does not include the country’s most important dairy products such as milk, cheese and butter. He said that this will be the first trade agreement in which the dairy sector has been completely ignored.  

According to Winston Peters, New Zealand is opening its market to Indian products while India has refused to reduce the heavy tariffs imposed on New Zealand’s dairy exports. This situation is unacceptable for farmers and rural areas, he added.  

According to New Zealand government data, dairy exports were worth about $13.94 billion as of November 2025, accounting for about 30 percent of New Zealand's total exports.  The Foreign Minister also expressed concern over the provisions related to immigration. He said that under the agreement, a new work visa is being introduced for Indian citizens, which is more concessionary on a per capita basis than in Australia and the UK.  

He warned that additional work permits for Indian students during and after their studies could make it difficult for future governments to change immigration policy.  He said that New Zealand First will only support trade agreements that are clearly in the interest of the New Zealand people, while continuing to oppose harmful agreements. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)