New Delhi: India and New Zealand have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on Electronic Origin Data Exchange for trade in goods, aimed at strengthening customs cooperation and facilitating bilateral trade under the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), India, and the New Zealand Customs Service (NZCS) signed the MoC concerning the Electronic Origin Data Exchange of trade in goods.
The MoC marks an important step towards strengthening customs cooperation and facilitating bilateral trade between the two countries.
It was signed under the India-New Zealand FTA, which entered into force on October 20, 2026.
The MoC on Electronic Origin Data Exchange was signed on October 19, 2026, by Vivek Chaturvedi, Chairman, CBIC, and Christine Stevenson, Comptroller and Chief Executive, New Zealand Customs Service.
The Electronic Origin Data Exchange arrangement reflects the shared commitment of India and New Zealand to leverage digitalisation and enhanced information exchange for more efficient, secure and predictable cross-border trade.
By enabling the advance electronic exchange of origin data on trade in goods, the Electronic Origin Data Exchange arrangement will deepen customs cooperation and support the effective implementation of trade facilitation measures.
The initiative also reflects a forward-looking approach to align bilateral customs cooperation with evolving international practices in digitalisation, information exchange and trade facilitation.
The Electronic Origin Data Exchange of origin data is expected to improve operational efficiency, reduce information gaps and provide greater certainty to traders engaged in bilateral trade.
Importantly, the arrangement will support the effective utilisation of trade preferences under the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
The Electronic Origin Data Exchange mechanism will also help ensure that the benefits negotiated under the Agreement reach eligible businesses in both countries more efficiently and with greater certainty.
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