Davos: Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark has described the recently concluded free trade agreement (FTA) between India and New Zealand as a “very significant” development that is expected to rapidly strengthen economic ties between the two countries.
Speaking in an exclusive interaction with Sunil Kale on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Clark said there is strong excitement in New Zealand about gaining deeper access to India’s fast-growing market. She highlighted India’s scale, technological advancement and accelerating GDP growth, noting that its emergence as one of the world’s largest economies is “inevitable”.
Commenting on global trade dynamics, Clark observed that recent United States tariff policies have been disruptive, but stressed that the US accounts for only about 13 per cent of global trade. “That leaves the other 87 per cent to get on with it,” she said, pointing to evolving trade arrangements beyond the US.
She cited New Zealand’s participation in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), adding that the United Kingdom has already joined and the European Union has shown interest. According to her, linking such large trade blocs could reshape global commerce, and she expressed hope that India would also become closely connected to these emerging trade frameworks.
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Clark said the India–New Zealand FTA would open new avenues for New Zealand exporters while deepening long-term cooperation. “With this agreement, the relationship will grow quite rapidly,” she noted, underlining its importance for both economies amid shifting global trade patterns.
Her remarks come at a time when India is increasingly viewed as a key driver of global growth and an essential partner in future multilateral trade arrangements.
