Talks on restarting negotiations for a free-trade agreement between New Zealand and India are expected to resume soon.
Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy. Photo: RNZ
Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and his Indian counterpart agreed to a 10th round of talks when Mr Guy visited India last week, where he led a business delegation.
Mr Guy said challenges ahead include sticking points over tariffs.
"I was very pleased to have a very productive meeting with my counterpart and we are up to nine rounds of negotiation, and it's fair to say that the tenth round has taken too long to get going," he said.
"I got a very strong indication from that meeting that they are keen to now see some progress, so that was one of the big exciting moves for me on the trip."
Mr Guy said it was likely that the 10th round of talks would start shortly. "Officials are now talking to officials in (New) Delhi, so I am optimistic it could be this year or the early part of next year."
India is New Zealand's 18th largest trading partner.
With a population of more than 1.2 billion and a growing middle-class, the opportunities for New Zealand products in India are huge, Mr Guy said.