More than 95% of New Zealand’s forestry and wood exports to India can now enter tariff-free, as the New Zealand-India Free Trade Agreement comes into force today. New Zealand Forest Owners Association President Dean Witehira says the agreement is a major opportunity for forest growers, wood processors and exporters to expand into one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. “Wood and wood products are already New Zealand’s largest goods export to India, with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) data showing exports have tripled over the past three years to $193 million. “With tariffs on almost all remaining forestry trade set to disappear over the next seven years, there’s considerable potential to build on this. “We already have a strong trading relationship with India, and removing tariffs on more than 95% of our existing exports puts our sector in a much better position to compete and grow.”