Piyush Goyal, Canada’s Commerce Minister, discusses the CEPA between India and Canada, ahead of Prime Minister Carney’s visit

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal held a virtual meeting with Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu to promote discussions on the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and Canada, with an aim to strengthen bilateral trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.

The meeting comes ahead of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to India later this week. Sharing details of the interaction in a social media post on Monday, Minister Piyush Goyal said he had a virtual interaction with Maninder Sidhu on the ongoing discussions related to the India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

He said, “Had a virtual interaction with @MSidhuLiberal, Minister of International Trade, Canada, on advancing discussions related to the India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). We also deliberated on strengthening business ties on both sides through regular delegation-level engagements in the coming months to build sustainable momentum in our economic partnership.”

The Canadian minister also expressed his optimism after the meeting. In a post on social media, Canada’s International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu said he had spoken to his Indian counterpart, Minister Piyush Goyal, to continue building momentum in the trade relationship and advance discussions towards a CEPA trade deal.

He said: “I spoke with my Indian counterpart, Minister Piyush Goyal, to continue building momentum in our trade relationship and advance discussions toward a CEPA trade agreement. With more than $30 billion in annual bilateral trade between Canada and India, there is great potential to unlock new opportunities for Canadian exporters, strengthen commercial ties and drive growth for businesses and workers in both countries.”

The trade negotiations between India and Canada, which began in 2010, have stalled several times due to various issues. However, efforts to revive the agreement gained momentum when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed to formally resume talks on the CEPA.

The proposed agreement is expected to cover a wide range of sectors, including trade in goods and services, investments, agriculture and digital trade. On the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed to begin negotiations on a high-ambition Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement aimed at doubling bilateral trade to $50 billion by 2030, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

To further strengthen the bilateral engagement, sources in the Ministry of External Affairs said last month that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit India in the first week of March. The Canadian Prime Minister’s visit is expected to include the signing of major agreements in areas such as uranium, energy, minerals and artificial intelligence. It is expected that trade and economic cooperation will also be a key focus during the visit.

Published on February 24, 2026