NEW DELHI: India-Canada are aiming to close negotiations for the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) by the end of 2026, with three chapters already closed, the Ministry of Commerce said on Friday. Currently, both countries are involved in the 6th round of negotiations in New Delhi from November 11 to 20.
“The negotiations are being held on 16 subjects and we are making rapid progress. Three chapters have already been closed and the intention is to conclude negotiations by the end of 2026,” said Darpan Jain, additional secretary, Ministry of Commerce.
Negotiations are being held on 16 policy areas including market access on goods, services, trade remedies, TSD, SPS, IPR, investment, TBT, customs and trade facilitation, and dispute settlement, among others.
India and Canada formally re-launched negotiations for the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in March, when Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited India.
The negotiations, initially launched in 2022, were eventually paused in 2023 after nine rounds of discussions due to diplomatic tensions between the two sides following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegation of a potential Indian link to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India rejected the allegation as absurd.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade of Canada, who is leading a Canadian delegation, met on Thursday regarding the proposed CEPA.
Total trade between India and Canada stood at $7.95 bn in FY26 with India’s exports to Canada at $4.6 bn and imports from Canada at $3.28 bn.