India, Canada Resume CEPA Talks, Seek Deal by Year-End

New Delhi, Sep 15 (KNN) India and Canada on Monday began the fourth round of negotiations for the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in New Delhi, with both sides seeking to conclude the talks by the end of this year, an official said.

The five-day round, scheduled from September 14 to 18, will focus on key areas including trade in goods and services, rules of origin and technical barriers to trade. The third round of negotiations was held in Ottawa in July, the official noted, PTI reported.

Bilateral Trade Targeted at USD 50 Billion

The negotiations assume significance as India and Canada have set a target of increasing bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2030.

However, two-way trade declined 8.22 per cent to USD 7.95 billion in 2025-26, from USD 8.66 billion in 2024-25. India’s exports to Canada rose to USD 4.67 billion from USD 4.22 billion, while imports fell to USD 3.28 billion from USD 4.44 billion.

Pharmaceuticals, Steel Among Key Exports

India’s major exports to Canada include pharmaceuticals, iron and steel, seafood, cotton garments, electronic goods and chemicals.

Key imports from Canada include pulses, pearls and semi-precious stones, coal, fertilisers, paper and crude petroleum. India’s major services exports to Canada include telecommunications, computer and information services and other business services.

Canada is also home to more than 4.25 lakh Indian students and a large Indian community, providing a broader economic and people-to-people dimension to bilateral ties.

(KNN Bureau)