India Canada Kick Off Fifth Round of CEPA Negotiations
India and Canada are set to begin their fifth round of negotiations for the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) today in Ottawa. The talks, which will run until October 9, aim to finalize the trade pact by the end of 2026, as both nations seek to accelerate progress following the previous round in New Delhi last month.
The push for faster negotiations comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed in March to conclude the CEPA by year-end. During their meeting in New Delhi, the leaders also emphasized deepening collaboration in energy and critical mineral sectors.
A joint statement from the summit highlighted the leaders' confidence that a comprehensive trade framework would strengthen economic ties and support their goal of expanding bilateral trade to 4.65 lakh crore rupees by 2030. Currently, India-Canada bilateral trade in goods stood at 8.66 billion US dollars in 2024-25, with India's exports to Canada reaching 4.22 billion US dollars.