India and Canada will hold the fifth round of negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in Ottawa from October 5, Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu said, as both countries seek to advance discussions on a broader trade pact.
Sidhu, speaking at the G20 Trade Ministers’ Meeting in Milwaukee on October 1, said negotiations were progressing and expressed hope that the agreement could be concluded in the coming months.
His comments followed his meeting with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal in Mumbai during the fourth round of talks.
Fifth round to focus on trade differences
Goyal has also confirmed October 5 as the start of the next round, according to ANI. Global Affairs Canada said on September 21 that four rounds of negotiations had been completed, with officials continuing efforts to bridge differences.
The negotiations are linked to a bilateral objective of increasing trade between the two countries to C$70 billion by 2030.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney set the target in their March 2 joint statement and backed the goal of completing CEPA negotiations by the end of 2026.
The latest talks follow an earlier attempt to reach an interim trade agreement. India and Canada revived CEPA negotiations in 2022 and initially pursued an Early Progress Trade Agreement covering areas such as goods, services, investment, rules of origin, technical barriers and dispute settlement.
Nine rounds were held before Canada suspended further negotiations in August 2023.
Focus expands to critical minerals and energy
Modi and Carney agreed in November 2025 to restart CEPA negotiations. The terms of reference were subsequently signed during Carney’s visit to India on March 2, 2026.
Sidhu has identified energy, critical minerals and aerospace as areas where the two countries could deepen cooperation. He said India was seeking to diversify some supply chains and invited Indian investment in Canadian mining and energy projects.
The two governments also signed a critical minerals memorandum in March covering exploration, mining, processing, investment promotion and technical cooperation.
Their joint statement welcomed a C$2.6-billion agreement between Cameco and India’s Department of Atomic Energy for long-term supplies.
During his Mumbai visit, Sidhu also met representatives of Mahindra & Mahindra, Bajaj Integrated Health System, JSW Group and CAE to discuss cooperation in life sciences, clean technologies, energy transition and aerospace.
