India's first tranche of customs duty concessions under its free trade agreement with New Zealand takes effect on 20 October 2026, the day the agreement enters into force, according to a Corplawupdates report of 19 October on CBIC Notification No. 32/2026-Customs. The notification is dated 16 October and issued under Section 25(1) of the Customs Act, 1962.
What it covers
Table I lists 8,546 tariff entries, from heading 0204 to 96190090, mostly with a concessional basic customs duty. Many lines carry zero agriculture infrastructure and development cess and health cess, but some, such as footwear, bicycles and certain cotton lines, keep higher cess rates.
Wine, honey and kiwi fruit
For wine, the basic duty in the notification's table is 20.0 where the import value is USD 5 or more but under USD 15 per 750 ml container, and 50.0 at USD 15 or more. Mānuka honey gets a concession at an import value of USD 30 a kilogram or more. A quota of 40 tonnes applies to honey valued at USD 20 to under USD 30 a kilogram, at an in-quota duty of 51.0. Kiwi fruit gets a basic duty of 15.0 at the stated import value of USD 2.50 a kilogram. Albumins have a 200-tonne quota.
Conditions
Importers must prove New Zealand origin under the CAROTAR, 2020 rules, since shipment from New Zealand alone is not enough. Quota goods need electronic authorisation from DGFT. Mānuka honey also needs a certificate from New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries. Goods cleared before 20 October do not get the concession.
Limits of the report
The official text's G.S.R. number is blank in the report, and the related DGFT Public Notice No. 33/2026-27 is mentioned only from media reports and was not checked against the official document.
Key numbers
- Tariff entries: 8,546 (Table I of the notification)
- Effective date: 20 Oct 2026 (Same day the FTA enters into force)
- Honey quota: 40 tonnes (Value USD 20 to under 30/kg)
- Albumins quota: 200 tonnes (Tariff-rate quota)
What boards and CFOs should note
Three points stand out. First, importers should check each tariff line, since cess and duty vary within the 8,546 entries. Second, origin proof under CAROTAR is a condition, so supplier documents matter. Third, there is no retrospective relief for goods cleared before 20 October.
Source: Corplawupdates, 19 October 2026. This is a summary of a news report, published as general information. It is not legal, tax or investment advice.
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