As global conflict, supply-chain shocks, and strategic rivalry reshape international commerce, free trade agreements are taking on new geopolitical significance. The newly signed India-New Zealand FTA is one such pact, linking two Indo-Pacific democracies through trade, investment, talent mobility, and economic diversification. In this article, Sumit Malhotra highlights why the agreement matters beyond tariffs, what it offers both economies, and how middle powers are using trade to navigate a fractured world order.
