CEPA

India and Canada on Monday started fourth round of negotiations for the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) here, as the two sides look to conclude the talks this year, an official said. The issues that would figure in the five-day (September 14-18) talks include trade in goods, services, rules of origin, and technical trade barriers, among others. The third round was held in July in Ottawa, the official said. The negotiations are important as the two sides have targeted to increase bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2030. In 2025-26, two-way trade dipped 8.22 per cent to USD 7.95 billion (USD 4.67 billion exports and USD 3.28 billion imports) from USD 8.66 billion in 2024-25 (USD 4.22 billion exports and USD 4.44 billion imports). Key exports from India to Canada include pharmaceuticals, iron and steel, seafood, cotton garments, electronic goods and chemicals, among others. The main imports include pulses, pearls and semi-precious stones, coal, fertili

In a bid to deepen bilateral economic and financial cooperation, India and Canada have said they are looking to conclude negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement by the end of 2026 and initiate talks on a Bilateral Investment Treaty at the earliest. At the inaugural Economic and Financial Dialogue in Toronto on Thursday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister of Finance and National Revenue, Francois-Philippe Champagne of Canada agreed to support engagement between relevant authorities and stakeholders to explore opportunities relating to cross-border remittances and merchant payments. They welcomed opportunities to broaden the use of UPI in Canada through partnerships with payment service providers, recognising that such efforts could contribute to faster, and cost-effective payments and support bilateral trade, tourism, education, and the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises in both countries, as per a joint statement issued after inaugural .

After the talks collapsed on Saturday, the US has imposed 50% tariff on $20 billion Canadian goods and Ottawa has vowed it would impose "dollar-for-dollar" retaliatory tariffs from September 8

India and Chile are targeting an October conclusion of Cepa talks, but differences over market access for products such as wine, salmon, fruits and gold remain unresolved

The free trade agreement between India and Oman came into force on Monday, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said. The India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) will benefit domestic exporters in sectors such as textiles, leather, plastics, marine products, automobiles, sports goods, and agri-items, as they gain preferential access to the Omani market over competitors, Goyal said. "The India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement is entering into force from today," the minister told reporters here. The free trade pact was signed on 18th December 2025 in Muscat. Upon completion of internal processes by both parties, the Agreement entered into force on 1st June, 2026. To mark the entry into force, about 10 consignments of agriculture and gems and jewellery products from Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai were shipped to the Gulf nation under the preferential tariffs. Oman is India's second-largest trading partner in the Gulf region and serves as a

Duty concessions on Omani imports under the India-Oman CEPA come into force from June 1, covering nearly 95% of India's imports from Oman

The India-Oman CEPA is expected to diversify exports, boost duty-free access and strengthen India's trade connectivity with GCC markets

Piyush Goyal pitched India as a long-term investment destination during his Canada visit as both countries accelerate negotiations for the proposed CEPA trade agreement

Carney, after a meeting with Goyal, called the Cepa between the two nations a "game changer".

Goyal said that he has arrived in Ottawa with the largest Indian business delegation in the country's history, showcasing India's commitment to the relationship

With conflict in West Asia raising concerns over energy security, Canada's High Commissioner to India, Chris Cooter, says new export infrastructure could help channel oil, LNG & LPG supplies to India

Piyush Goyal's Canada visit is set to push CEPA talks forward, with energy security, clean energy and trade diversification in focus

India and South Korea are expected to hold negotiations on May 25 regarding the review of the comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA), which was implemented in January 2010, an official said. The deliberations are important as India has suggested Korea to consider negotiating a fresh bilateral trade agreement to make it more contemporary and address concerns of the trade deficit. "The officials of the two countries are meeting on May 25 for the FTA review," the official said. Last month, in a bilateral meeting here, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal made the suggestion to negotiate a fresh FTA to his Korean counterpart Yeo Han-koo. The minister, on multiple occasions, flagged India's concerns over the widening trade deficit between the two countries. India's exports to Korea declined 9.3 per cent to USD 5.81 billion in 2024-25 from USD 6.41 billion in 2023-24. Imports fell marginally by 0.34 per cent to USD 21 billion in 2024-25, leaving a trade deficit of US

India and Canada on Monday started second round of negotiations for a free trade agreement aimed at boosting two-way commerce and investments, an official said. The pact is officially known as the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and negotiations will cover trade in goods, services, and other mutually agreed policy areas. "The five-day talks started on May 4 here," the official said. The first round was held in March. This round is important as Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will visit Canada by end of this month to give an impetus to the negotiations. The negotiations mark the resumption of talks, as the two countries had earlier engaged in a similar exercise, but Canada paused it in 2023. Now, they decided to resume talks from the beginning as a lot has changed on the global trade front during these two years. 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

The India-UAE free trade agreement, which came into force in May 2022, has helped the bilateral trade to cross USD 100 billion, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the UAE acts as a gateway to Africa, other GCC and Middle Eastern countries, CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries and some European countries. Bilateral merchandise trade has grown strongly, crossing USD 100 billion, with services trade also rising steadily and opening new markets and greater value, he said in a social media post. The bilateral trade stood at USD 101.25 billion in 2025-26 compared to USD 100.03 billion in 2024-25. The trade, he said, has expanded in key sectors like gems and jewellery, engineering goods, electronics, and agriculture. During 2025-26, India's exports to the UAE rose about 2 per cent to USD 37.36 billion, while imports were up 0.77 per cent to USD 63.89 billion, resulting in a trade deficit o

India-UAE trade crossed $100 billion in FY25, but rising imports-especially energy-have widened India's trade deficit despite CEPA-driven export diversification

Piyush Goyal may visit Canada in February, paving the way for restarting stalled India-Canada trade talks after a two-year diplomatic freeze over the Nijjar controversy

In 2024, India's bilateral services trade with Oman stood at $863 million, with exports of $665 million and imports of $198 million, resulting in a surplus of $447 million for India

Under the trade deal, Oman has offered India zero-duty market access on 98 per cent of its tariff lines, covering over 99 per cent of India's exports to Oman

The next round of negotiations between India and Chile on the proposed free trade agreement is expected to be held in December here, an official said. The pact with the the South American nation may help India access critical minerals, which are key inputs for electronics, auto, and solar sectors. India and Chile concluded the third round of negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in Santiago. The four-day talks concluded on October 30. India is seeking preferential treatment for critical minerals in Chile under the pact. India's growing trade engagement with Chile reflects its strategic focus on building stronger partnerships with the Latin American region through mutually beneficial and comprehensive economic cooperation frameworks, the official said. India and Chile implemented a preferential trade agreement (PTA) in 2006 and are now negotiating to widen its scope for a comprehensive economic partnership agreement. CEPA aims to build upon the exis