Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Canada’s International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu launch the Canada-India Trade and Investment Forum and commit to concluding CEPA negotiations by end of 2026.
India and Canada launched the Canada-India Trade and Investment Forum during Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal’s three-day official visit to Canada from May 25 to May 27, 2026, in Toronto. The forum was co-chaired by Goyal and Canada’s Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu and is designed to bring together Canadian and Indian business leaders to foster new commercial partnerships and increased business engagement. A joint statement was issued on May 29, 2026. Sidhu welcomed Goyal and what was described as the largest Indian delegation ever sent anywhere in the world, and underscored opportunities to deepen cooperation across sectors including clean energy, critical minerals, agri-food, advanced manufacturing, digital technologies and skills development. Both ministers reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening bilateral trade and investment ties to deliver tangible outcomes supporting economic growth and increased commercial opportunities for businesses in both countries.
Both sides reiterated their commitment to advancing an ambitious and mutually beneficial Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and affirmed their shared objective of concluding negotiations by the end of 2026, underscoring CEPA’s importance in expanding market access, supporting resilient supply chains and enabling two-way economic growth. The Terms of Reference for CEPA were signed in March 2026 and the second round of negotiations was concluded in New Delhi in early May 2026, covering trade in goods and services, rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade and intellectual property rights, with a third round currently progressing in Ottawa. Sidhu confirmed that Canada will lead a Team Canada Trade Mission to India later this year. Both sides committed to maintaining regular dialogue and encouraging long-term, high-quality investment in priority sectors.
Source: Press Information Bureau (PIB) / Global Affairs Canada / The Tribune / Business Standard
