Why was Britain, the country that once painted the globe red, so eager to sign what also looks like a disadvantageous trade deal with India? Dairy products have secured a tiny toehold in the India-New Zealand trade basket. New Zealand’s free trade agreement with China has delivered substantial economic dividends over time, despite early scepticism. Yet the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement signed last week during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Muscat marks a meaningful shift in India’s trade strategy. Indian government officials now privately concede that any India-US trade agreement is unlikely before March at the earliest, and even that timeline looks optimistic.

Source: The Telegraph December 24, 2025 16:37 UTC