National is pledging to pursue new trade negotiations with a tranche of countries across five continents if re-elected.Speaking alongside Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at the Port of Auckland this morning, National’s trade spokesman – and current Trade Minister – Todd McClay named seven economies the Government would prioritise securing new deals with in an effort to secure more trade opportunities and remove barriers for New Zealand exporters.The agenda identifies Brazil, Switzerland, Argentina, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Uruguay and the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) as “priority markets”, collectively representing 700 million people with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of more than US$5 trillion ($8.76t).A second tranche, consisting of South Africa, Turkey, Colombia, Morocco, Sri Lanka and Mauritius, has also been listed as priorities to advance over the next decade.“New Zealand is a trading nation. We create jobs and lift incomes by supporting great Kiwi companies to compete on the world stage for a rising share of global trade and investment,” McClay said.“Trade is not about what leaves our ports, it’s about what comes back into our communities.“When Kiwi businesses sell more to the world, they are able to grow and create more jobs and pay wages that are invested back into the community.”McClay said Luxon had succeeded in his promise to secure a free trade deal with India in the Government’s first term despite facing headwinds.“The seven markets we have identified offer huge, untapped opportunities for New Zealand exporters. Our exports to these countries are currently worth just $1.8 billion, demonstrating the scale of the opportunity for our exporters,” McClay said.“A re-elected National Government will prioritise commencing negotiations with each of these seven markets in the next five years to secure better access for Kiwi companies, boost exports, create jobs and lift incomes.”The announcement comes six days before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes a whistle-stop visit to New Zealand amid swirling contention over the free trade agreement (FTA) both countries recently signed.Luxon recently confirmed Modi would arrive in Auckland on Friday and depart the next day, marking the first such visit by an Indian Prime Minister in 40 years.While Luxon has championed Modi’s impending visit as “historic”, the coalition Government’s disagreement over the FTA deal and its contents has exposed deeper friction over the issue.Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters – whose party, New Zealand First, is strongly opposed to the new deal – recently alleged National ministers were “covertly” tightening immigration settings for Indians off the back of “poor polling”.“We told the New Zealand people that [the deal] would mean open-slather immigration from India to New Zealand,” Peters said in Parliament.“But the National Party has just changed its course – no doubt due to poor polling – and they have done so covertly.”Immigration Minister Erica Stanford later warned the coalition’s infighting could be potentially damaging to New Zealand’s relationship with the Indian government.“I certainly don’t think it’s helpful for the relationship that we have with the Indian Government for this to be playing out; it’s not helpful at all,” she told reporters at Parliament.“I’m just trying to do my best as the Immigration Minister to try and work out what it is that Mr Peters wants.“I’ve made decisions around tightening up to make sure that I’ve tried to keep everyone happy and now he’s not happy with that.”In response, Peters rejected Stanford’s version of events and urged journalists to request the relevant documents.Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.