Wellington, Sept. 19 -- The India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement is likely to come into force within the next month, said New Zealand Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay, as the two countries work on exchanging official notes to begin the process of implementing the pact.

In an interview with ANI, McClay said the agreement, which has cleared the New Zealand Parliament, would provide Indian exporters with duty-free access to the New Zealand market from the first day of implementation.

"We're very close now. It passed in our Parliament with a significant majority - 93 votes to 26," McClay said, adding that the two sides were now working on exchanging official notes to kick-start the process for the agreement to enter into force. ...