India and Canada have agreed to expedite negotiations related to the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). India's Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, announced that the next round of talks will be held on October 5, and the next 90 days could be a decisive period in the relations between the two countries.
Progress in Negotiations
Piyush Goyal, during a media interaction, referred to the conclusion of the fourth round of negotiations with his Canadian counterpart, Mary Ng, in Mumbai, stating: "The discussions were very constructive, and both sides decided to expedite the negotiation process. Our team is now ready to enter the fifth round of negotiations."
Increasing the Pace of Negotiations
Goyal noted the increasing pace of negotiations, stating: "The fifth round will begin on October 5, and it can be said that with the ongoing progress, the pace of negotiations with Canada is improving." He also mentioned the development of relations between New Delhi and Ottawa, adding: "We will have to see what impact the next 90 days will have on India-Canada relations."
This round of negotiations comes after renewed efforts by both countries to finalize a comprehensive trade agreement. Canada had announced prior to Ng's visit to Mumbai on September 18 and 19 that three rounds of new CEPA negotiations had been completed, and both sides aim to finalize negotiations by the end of 2026.
India and Canada have been discussing a comprehensive trade agreement for over a decade. Formal negotiations resumed in March 2022, and both sides are also seeking a rapid progress trade agreement as a temporary measure. Before this process was halted in August 2023 due to existing tensions in bilateral relations, nine rounds of negotiations were held between 2022 and 2023.
Trade partnership revived in 2025, and the two countries jointly launched a new CEPA process. Goyal and Ng signed a principles agreement on March 2, 2026, during Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to India, and both governments committed to finalizing negotiations by the end of 2026.
According to the Ministry of Commerce statistics, bilateral trade between India and Canada reached approximately $8 billion in the fiscal year 2025-2026, with India exporting goods worth $4.67 billion and importing $3.28 billion.
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