India, Canada to hold next round of FTA talks in Ottawa in Jul

India and Canada will hold the next round of negotiations for the proposed free trade agreement in July in Ottawa, the Commerce Ministry said on Friday. The negotiations are important as the two sides have fixed a target to increase the bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2030.

India and Canada will hold the next round of negotiations for the proposed free trade agreement in July in Ottawa, the Commerce Ministry said on Friday. The two sides concluded the second round of talks for the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) here on May 8. ''India and Canada reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing a balanced, ambitious, and mutually beneficial agreement aimed at strengthening bilateral trade and economic ties,'' it said. The main issues figured in the five-day talks include trade in goods, services, intellectual property, rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and technical barriers to trade, among others. ''Both sides agreed to continue negotiations in a constructive and cooperative spirit and looked forward to the next round of discussions, scheduled to be held in July 2026 in Ottawa, Canada, with intersessional engagements to continue in the interim,'' the ministry said. The negotiations are important as the two sides have fixed a target to increase the bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2030. It stood at USD 8.66 billion in 2024-25 (USD 4.22 billion exports and USD 4.44 billion imports). Canada represents a market of 41.65 million people (2025) and a GDP of USD 2.34 trillion at purchasing power parity. Key exports from India to Canada include pharmaceuticals, iron and steel, seafood, cotton garments, electronic goods and chemicals, among others. Key imports include pulses, pearls and semi-precious stones, coal, fertiliser, paper and petroleum crude. India's main services sector exports 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. Joint Secretary in the Department of Commerce, Brij Mohan Mishra, is the chief negotiator from the Indian side. Bruce Christie is Canada's chief negotiator.