India, Canada begin another round of talks on proposed trade pact: Official

India and Canada aim to increase bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2030. | Photo credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

India and Canada on Monday (14 Sep 2026) began the fourth round of negotiations on the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) as both sides look to conclude talks this year, an official said.

Topics that will feature in the five-day (September 14-18) talks include trade in goods, services, rules of origin and technical barriers to trade, among others.

The third round was held in July in Ottawa, the official said.

The talks are important because both sides have set a goal of increasing bilateral trade to $50 billion by 2030.

In 2025-26, two-way trade fell by 8.22% to $7.95 billion ($4.67 billion in exports and $3.28 billion in imports) from $8.66 billion in 2024-25 ($4.22 billion exports and $4.44 billion imports).

Key exports from India to Canada include pharmaceuticals, iron and steel, seafood, cotton garments, electronic goods and chemicals, among others.

Major imports include pulses, pearls and semi-precious stones, coal, fertilizers, paper and petroleum. Major exports of India’s services sector include telecommunications, computer and information services, and other business services.

Canada is also home to over 4,25,000 Indian students and a strong Indian community.

Published – 14 Sep 2026 14:41 IST