Commerce Minister Goyal likely to visit Canada as CEPA second round ends

According to government data cited in the article, merchandise trade between India and Canada was $7.92 billion in FY2025-26, down from FY2024-25. India's exports to Canada totaled $4.67 billion in 2025-26 (up ~10.6% from $4.22 billion in 2024-25), while imports from Canada were $3.25 billion in 2025-26 (down from $4.45 billion in 2024-25).

Indian and Canadian negotiators announced that the formal third round of FTA negotiations will be held in July 2026 in Ottawa, with Brij Mohan Mishra and Bruce Christie continuing as chief negotiators for India and Canada, respectively.

Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal is likely to visit Canada on May 25, 2026 to strengthen bilateral trade and investment ties as negotiations progress toward the CEPA-based goal of $50 billion in bilateral trade by 2030.

The second round of CEPA negotiations was held May 4–8, 2026 at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi. The discussions covered trade in goods and services, intellectual property, rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and technical barriers to trade. The ministry highlighted constructive engagement and reiterated the 2030 goal of $50 billion in bilateral trade, with intersessional negotiations to continue and a third round planned for July 2026 in Ottawa. The bilateral trade figure cited for context reflects 2024-25 and 2025-26 data.

Trade ministers of India and Canada signed terms of reference (ToR) for the CEPA in March 2026. The leaders set a target of achieving $50 billion in bilateral trade by 2030 under the CEPA framework. Indian joint secretary Brij Mohan Mishra and Canadian official Bruce Christie were named as chief negotiators.