Industry Odisha Bureau, Oct 20: India has notified tariff rate quota rules under its FTA with New Zealand. Apples, kiwifruit, Manuka honey and albumins gain capped duty concessions from 20 October.
India has set out how selected New Zealand farm goods will enter at lower duties. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) notified the procedure on 19 October. The DGFT functions under the Commerce Ministry. The India–New Zealand free trade agreement (FTA) takes effect on 20 October 2026.
The rules cover apples, kiwifruit, Manuka honey and albumins. Each will enter under a tariff rate quota (TRQ). A TRQ allows a fixed volume of imports at a concessional duty. India has paired these quotas with minimum import prices and other safeguards. The government says this ensures calibrated imports while protecting domestic farmers.
There is no apple quota in the agreement’s first year. It opens at 35,000 tonnes in year two. It then rises to 37,500, 40,000 and 42,500 tonnes in years three to five. From year six, it settles at 45,000 tonnes a year. These apples will attract a 25% duty, half the current 50% rate. But the cost, insurance and freight (CIF) value must be at least $1.25 per kg. Imports are allowed only between 1 April and 31 August each year.
Kiwifruit within the quota enters duty-free if its CIF value is at least $1.80/kg. Again, there is no quota in year one. Volumes start at 8,000 tonnes in year two. They climb to 9,750, 11,500 and 13,250 tonnes over the next three years. From year six, the quota stands at 15,000 tonnes annually. The kiwifruit window runs from 1 April to 15 October.
Albumins, a category of protein products, face an 11% concessional duty. Their quota starts at 200 tonnes and rises to 3,000 tonnes from year five. Intermediate quotas are 1,500, 2,000 and 2,500 tonnes. Unlike fruit, albumins can be imported throughout the year.
Manuka honey must be certified by New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries. Its quota is 40 tonnes in year one, then 200 tonnes annually. Imports must also meet a specified CIF value.
New Zealand will allocate quotas to its exporters or producers through export certificates. Each certificate must name the product, permitted quantity and designated Indian importer. Total certified volumes cannot exceed each product’s annual quota.
An authorisation is valid only for the quota year in which it is issued. Imports must arrive within the product’s quota window. “Any unutilised quantity shall lapse on expiry of the authorisation,” the notice said. Unused volumes cannot be carried forward.
Phased quotas, price floors and seasonal windows are designed to prevent sudden import surges. Price floors also deter cheap shipments that could undercut Indian growers. Yet the impact on domestic prices will depend on actual import volumes. For New Zealand exporters, the rules offer clarity on how to use the FTA. For India, they show how market access can come with firm safeguards.
