Cepa

India, Canada to begin 5th round of CEPA talks on Oct 5, eye year-end deal

The chief negotiators of India and Canada will begin the fifth round of negotiations for the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in Ottawa from October 5, with an aim to conclude the talks by the end of this calendar year, an official said. The five-day talks may end on October 9. The fourth round of negotiations concluded here on September 18. The talks are moving at a faster pace as both countries are targeting to conclude the negotiations by the end of this year. The negotiations are important as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Canada around December this year, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said last month. To give a further impetus to the talks, Canada's Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu will visit New Delhi later this month with a 300 strong business delegation. Sidhu and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met in Mumbai last month to review the progress of negotiations. CEPA is a kind of free trade agreement in which two countries

India, Canada to hold next round of trade pact talks from October 5: Goyal

The negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and Canada are progressing and the next round of talks will be held from October 5, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday. "...the next 90 days should be a very defining period in the Canada-India relationship," he told reporters here. The fourth round of negotiations concluded here on September 18. The talks are moving at a faster pace as both the countries are targeting to conclude the negotiations by end of this year. "Both sides have resolved to fast track negotiations, in view of which our team is now slated to go for the fifth round on October 5," Goyal said. Canada's International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu was in Mumbai last week to hold talks with Goyal. 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,

India, Canada discuss progress on CEPA, aim to close trade deal by year-end

Trade ministers of India and Canada on Friday discussed the progress of ongoing negotiations for the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The meeting was held between Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Canada's International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu in Mumbai. The deliberations are important as both countries are aiming to conclude the negotiations by the end of this year. "Both sides reaffirmed our leadership's commitment to expedite negotiations and conclude CEPA at the earliest, unlocking new opportunities across trade in goods, services and investment, among others," Goyal said in a social media post. He added that early conclusion of the pact will help significantly increase bilateral trade. The chief negotiators of the two countries held the fourth round of talks here this week. "Two-way trade reached $30.4 billion in 2025. Our goal is clear: more than double that to $70 billion by 2030, opening new opportunities for Canadian worke

India, Canada begin fourth CEPA talks, aim to conclude pact this year

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

India, Canada aim to conclude CEPA talks by 2026 to boost bilateral trade

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 .

US-Canada trade flux may give India an edge in Ottawa negotiations

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

Chile's demands on some 'sensitive' items hold up Cepa negotiations

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

India-Oman free trade pact comes into force; exporters set to gain

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 for Omani imports under India FTA kick in from June 1

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

India-Oman CEPA set to unlock new export opportunities from June 1

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

India seeks deeper Canada investment ties as CEPA talks gather pace

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

India and Canada to conclude Cepa by November, says Piyush Goyal

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

India-Canada aim to conclude CEPA by year-end; triple trade by 2030: Goyal

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

As Strait of Hormuz fears grow, Canada makes an energy pitch to India

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

Goyal's Canada visit may accelerate Cepa negotiations, deepen energy ties

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

India, South Korea likely to hold FTA review negotiations on May 25

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, Canada begin second round of CEPA trade talks to boost ties

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

India-UAE trade crosses $100 billion under free trade pact: Piyush Goyal

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

Datanomics: Skew towards UAE continues in bilateral trade with India

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 travel to Canada in February to resume FTA talks

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