Peter Chrisp: New Zealand Trade & Enterprise CEO on the negotiations for a free trade agreement with India

Negotiations on a free trade deal with India have been launched. 

Representatives across defence, tourism, and trade are home after travelling with the Prime Minister's delegation.  

New Zealand Trade & Enterprise Chief Executive Peter Chrisp told Mike Hosking there's good-will on both sides to make it work. 

He says there's was considerable warmth and engagement between the Prime Ministers, and strong interaction with the delegation. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Those who spent the past week in India with our
trade delegation. The back the headline was the FTA. Of
course talks are underway. There was some hope we can
stitch it up in a couple of months. Apparently New
Zealand Trade and Enterprise CEO pet of Christmas with us
Peter Morning.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Good morning Mite.

Speaker 1 (00:12):
How much of what unfolded last week was predetermined before
we even left the country.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Well, I know that mister McLay had been working on
the three Trade Agreement for quite some period before then,
so but we didn't really know exactly what was going
to happen until we arrived.

Speaker 1 (00:28):
How far down the track are we in talks? IU?

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Look, anything about the free trade Agreement I really need
to leave to Minister maclay and the Foreign Ministry because
as you can understand, it's very sensitive. It won't be
negotiating in public. So I'll say, away from that one.

Speaker 1 (00:44):
What's your sense of the goodwill level? Is there genuine
good will on both sides to make this thing work?
Hand stick?

Speaker 2 (00:52):
I think so there was without doubt considerable warmth an
engagement between the Prime Minister and Prime Minister that was
very evident, and also throughout the Business Delegation and the
Community Delegation. With one hundred and twenty of us in
the market, there was lots and lots of engagement and interaction.

(01:13):
We had thirty three different deliverables that we signed up,
which was you know, just a whole pednacles of access
and partnerships all over the country. So yeah, it seemed
pretty genuine to us.

Speaker 1 (01:26):
The sadness for me has been we should have been
there ages ago. Should I mean this has been that
they were sitting duck ready to do some business, aren't they.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
Well, I think, you know, it's just really the convergence
for both countries. I mean, India is really just starting
to open up. It's the biggest latent demand Paul in
the world. You've got a billion new consumers coming on.
But it's quite recent for them to sort of open
their open themselves up, I mean, and they're not going
to open themselves up to any country to sell, and

(01:58):
they're really more looking for countries who want to partner
with them. So it's not really a cell too, it's
a partner with and so these things take a long
time to curate. Just doesn't happen overnight.

Speaker 1 (02:12):
This whole sixty days, ninety days, whatever. But does anyone
actually have a clue. We're just making that up as
we go along.

Speaker 2 (02:18):
Again, I'll leave that Minnister maclay and what he would
like to say publicly about that.

Speaker 1 (02:23):
I read a couple of reports from reporters from behind
the scenes. It seemed a draining old exercise. It was
full on, is that fair?

Speaker 2 (02:31):
Yeah, it was a huge week. I've arrived at Monday
morning instead of my head spinning a bit. Huge week,
but you know, energetic and yeah, it's great. It was
great to be with a whole lot of people from
New Zealand and going to a country together to take
on our country for the good of New Zealand. They're
a very strong positive feeling about the whole thing.

Speaker 1 (02:52):
Good stuff. Pete appreciate it. Peter Crisp, who's the CEO
of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. For more from the
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