NEW DELHI: Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal held a productive meeting with Mr. Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade, Canada, to review progress and advance negotiations on the proposed India–Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
The meeting focused on accelerating the ongoing negotiations and working towards an early conclusion of the trade agreement. Both sides reaffirmed the commitment of their respective leaderships to expedite the process and develop a comprehensive framework that can further strengthen bilateral economic engagement.
The proposed CEPA is expected to create greater opportunities across trade in goods, services and investment, while providing a broader framework for enhancing commercial cooperation between businesses and investors in both countries.
India and Canada have maintained regular ministerial engagement on trade and investment. The two countries had also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral economic ties during the 7th India–Canada Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment held in November 2025, with discussions covering areas including supply-chain resilience, investment facilitation and sectoral cooperation.
According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s latest available annual trade data, India–Canada bilateral merchandise trade stood at US$8.67 billion in FY 2024–25, underlining the existing scale of the economic relationship and the scope for further expansion.
The CEPA negotiations are aimed at providing greater market access and creating a predictable and supportive environment for businesses engaged in bilateral trade and investment. An agreement covering goods, services and investment could also facilitate deeper integration between the two economies and open additional avenues for exporters, service providers and investors.
Shri Piyush Goyal expressed confidence that an early conclusion of the India–Canada CEPA would contribute to the shared objective of significantly increasing bilateral trade and deepening the economic partnership between the two countries.
The renewed focus on expediting negotiations comes as both sides seek to build on their existing commercial relationship and establish a stronger, more comprehensive framework for long-term economic cooperation.
