Fashion
India, New Zealand advance towards comprehensive FTA
Following five days of constructive and forward-looking discussions between the two sides, both delegations held detailed engagements across key tracks including trade in goods, trade in services, economic and trade cooperation, and rules of origin. The discussions reflected the shared ambition to strengthen economic ties and build a mutually beneficial partnership that supports resilient, inclusive, and sustainable growth.
India and New Zealand concluded the fourth round of FTA negotiations, led by Ministers Piyush Goyal and Todd McClay, reaffirming their commitment to a modern, comprehensive pact.
Talks covered goods, services, and cooperation, aiming to boost trade, investment, and supply-chain resilience.
Both sides agreed to maintain momentum toward an early, balanced, and mutually beneficial agreement.
Guided by the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India remains committed to forging deeper economic partnerships that contribute to global prosperity and secure supply chains. The ministers noted that the proposed FTA is expected to significantly enhance trade flows, deepen investment linkages, strengthen supply-chain resilience, and provide greater predictability and market access for businesses in both countries, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a press release.
The ongoing discussions reflect the shared resolve of both nations to expedite the process and work towards an early, balanced, and mutually advantageous conclusion of the agreement.
India’s bilateral merchandise trade with New Zealand stood at $1.3 billion in FY 2024–25, marking a year-on-year growth of nearly 49 per cent. The proposed FTA is expected to unlock further potential in sectors such as agriculture, food processing, renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, education, and services, creating new opportunities for businesses and consumers alike.
Both sides agreed to sustain momentum through inter-sessional work and continue detailed discussions across all chapters with a shared determination to move towards early convergence on the India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)
With sustainability benchmarks rising, companies are rethinking how they produce and deliver, pivoting toward greener, more circular models that reduce waste, emissions, and resource use.
The stakes are high. In 2025, Vietnam’s exports to the EU reportedly reached $56.2 billion, up 10.1 per cent year on year, underscoring how pivotal Europe is for the country’s manufacturing base.
Vietnam’s textile and footwear exporters are accelerating sustainability efforts as stricter EU regulations reshape market access requirements.
Rising compliance pressure from measures such as CBAM and ESPR is pushing manufacturers toward circular production, cleaner technologies and greater supply-chain transparency, though limited green finance remains a major challenge for smaller firms.
The EU market, nevertheless, comes with its own challenges as access to this market increasingly depends on meeting strict environmental and product-design requirements.
The EU is rolling out an ambitious sustainability agenda, including the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). Together, these measures are changing what global suppliers must document, design, and decarbonise.
ESPR shifts expectations toward durability, repairability, and recyclability, while pushing manufacturers to reduce products’ overall environmental footprint. Supply chains are also expected to become more transparent through Digital Product Passports, and practices such as destroying unsold goods being phased out gradually.
For Vietnam’s exporters, compliance is becoming a baseline requirement to keep EU orders and remain competitive.
Recognising this, both the Government and industry players are stepping up. Vietnam’s long-term development strategy for textiles and footwear, which stretches to 2030 with a vision toward 2035, places sustainability at its core. The plan charts a path toward efficient, environmentally responsible growth anchored in a circular economy, where materials are reused, waste is minimised, and production cycles are closed rather than linear.
Crucially, it also provides a legal backbone to help businesses align with global sustainability trends.
On the ground, change is already underway. Textile and apparel manufacturers are investing in renewable energy, upgrading machinery, and fine-tuning production processes to cut emissions and resource use. These shifts are not just about compliance; they are about future-proofing operations in a market where green credentials increasingly determine who wins contracts.
However, the transition has not been entirely seamless. A key barrier seems to be access to green finance, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. Large firms can more readily fund clean technologies and certification, while smaller suppliers often struggle to fund the shift, risking exclusion from high-value export markets if they cannot keep pace.
There is also a growing recognition that policy support needs to go further. As Vietnam leans into a circular economy, industry voices are calling for a more cohesive and comprehensive framework, one that not only sets clear standards for circular products but also actively incentivises recycling, cleaner production, and sustainable innovation.
Without this, progress risks being uneven, with smaller firms left behind.
Momentum is, nevertheless, building as manufacturers and policymakers push for better-aligned standards and support mechanisms. The goal is to narrow the gap between sustainability ambition and day-to-day implementation across the sector.
The aim is clear: create an ecosystem where businesses of all sizes can invest in circular solutions, strengthen their export capabilities, and meet the EU’s exacting standards head-on.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DR)
The increase was driven primarily by higher reinvested earnings and intra-company loans, indicating continued engagement by existing investors with Bangladesh.
Reinvested earnings rose by 318.25 per cent, from $103.79 million in 2024 to $434.10 million in 2025, while intra-company loans increased by 25.68 per cent, from $621.96 million to $781.68 million.
Bangladesh’s net FDI inflows increased by 39.36 per cent last year to $1,770.42 million compared with $1,270.39 million in 2024, the Bangladesh Bank said.
The increase was driven primarily by higher reinvested earnings and intra-company loans.
Reinvested earnings rose by 318.25 per cent, from $103.79 million in 2024 to $434.10 million in 2025, while intra-company loans rose by 25.68 per cent.
Equity capital remained broadly stable, rising by 1.84 per cent, from $544.64 million to $554.64 million in 2025, a release from Bangladesh Investment Development Authority said.
Greenfield project announcements declined by 16 per cent in 2025.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
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