Why the NZ-India Trade Deal needs sunlight

Video: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Opposition leader Chris Hipkins join Indian Independence Day celebrations in South Auckland. (File. / Facebook)

OPINION: Late April is set for New Delhi celebrations, when the New Zealand-India Free Trade Agreement will be signed, but the full details remain unavailable for public scrutiny. That raises serious questions about how trade policy is being handled under Christopher Luxon’s government. It lacks any sunlight at this stage.

The deal was concluded in December 2025 after a nine-month sprint, with ministers highlighting speed, scale, and the promise of expanded exports, along with closer ties to India. Those claims cannot be independently tested without access to the full circumstances of the deal.

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Pressure for disclosure is building in online spaces. There are calls for the document to be released before it is signed, so the detail can be properly examined.

In the past comparable agreements have allowed scrutiny before ratification, with draft texts published so industry sectors can assess the fine print and identify risks early, a safeguard that is missing here.

Opacity carries real consequences, because immigration pathways tied to trade can affect labour markets, investment rules can shape how foreign capital operates in New Zealand, and dispute mechanisms can limit domestic policy choices. These are standard parts of modern FTAs, but to the contrary none can be assessed at this time ahead of the signing.

And what must be made clear is that speed does not remove the need for accountability, and a faster process increases the risk that unresolved issues remain buried in the final documentation.

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The Government maintains the deal will boost exports and unlock opportunity, but that does not replace the need for transparency. Signing first and revealing later reverses the usual process, and it asks the public to accept a binding agreement without full visibility and scrutiny.

New Zealand has built its trade reputation on openness and rules-based engagement. Withholding the documentation weeks before signing cuts against that standard.

Release the agreement, and let it be tested before it is sealed.

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