India, Canada Chief Negotiators To Meet This Week To Revive CEPA Talks, FTA Discussions Set In Motion After Two-Year Gap

New Delhi: The chief negotiators of India and Canada will hold discussions this week to find a way forward on the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Monday. The meeting will be held virtually.

Both sides have resumed discussions on the trade pact after a gap of two years. Ten rounds of negotiations have been held before Canada paused negotiations in 2023. He said that the two countries have recently held a technical-level trade talks. They discussed the scope of the negotiations that the two countries will have. When asked if the two nations will start talks on the proposed trade pact afresh, Agrawal said: "That decision will be taken shortly".

He added that a lot of things have changed at global trade front since the talks were paused in 2023. "In two years, countries have moved on, the world has moved on. Lot of other challenges in trade are coming up. We need to take stock as to where we stopped...." Joint Secretary in Department of Commerce Brij Mohan Mishra is the chief negotiator from Indian side. Bruce Christie is Canada's chief negotiator.

They will "meet virtually to design the agenda and path forward (for the talks)," Agrawal said. He also said India is in the midst of multiple FTA negotiations including with Canada, the US, Peru, Chile, the EU, and EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union). "We are starting with Qatar, Israel. We are also thinking of SACU (Southern African Customs Union) and New Zealand is in the final stages." Negotiations to widen the scope of existing trade agreement with Australia are going on. So far, 11 rounds of talks have been completed and the next round is scheduled in January 2026.

With the Russia-led EAEU, the first round of talks was held recently and the second round is scheduled for February next year. Talks with Chile are "progressing well," he said adding with Peru also, negotiations are moving. With Maldives, terms of reference have been finalised to start trade talks.

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