Canada and India have agreed to work toward a comprehensive trade agreement, resuming efforts that began 15 years ago.
Readings by both Prime Ministers Mark Carney and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Offices say the pair have agreed to begin negotiations on an “ambitious” Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
Modi also invited Carney to visit India, which the prime minister said he had accepted in early 2026.
“The ability to trade more effectively with them and expand that trade with them would be greatly enhanced by this (a deal),” Carney told reporters at the G20 summit on Sunday.
According to the reading, the trade deal aims to double bilateral trade to $70 billion by 2030.
Carney’s office stated that the CEPA would cover goods, services, investments, agriculture and food, digital trade, labor mobility and sustainable developments.
The two countries first began talks in 2010, but eventually scaled back those efforts to an agreement that would only affect certain industries by fall 2023.
Trade talks between India and Canada were suspended at the end of 2023 following the loss of Ottawa public with allegations from the RCMP that the Indian government was behind the killing Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh activist, near Vancouver in June 2023.
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Earlier this month, Global News also confirmed this Conversations intercepted Canada and the United Kingdom implicate senior Indian officials in the Nijjar killing.
India was also one of four countries named by Canadian intelligence chief Dan Rogers as he listed espionage and cross-border repression efforts by Canada’s adversaries.
Asked by reporters on Sunday about the threat posed by India, Carney said he was aware of the “threat landscape”.
“With respect to any form of foreign interference, we must remain vigilant – we are vigilant,” he said.
The Prime Minister, however, added that he considers India to be a reliable trading partner.
“Canada has very strong trade ties with India. For example, we are one of the largest foreign investors in India,” he said.
“What we want to do is put this on a solid footing through a potential trade agreement between the two countries that provides our businesses, protections for Indian businesses, (a) clear set of rules, dispute resolution mechanisms and others and builds on those opportunities.”
The comments are the opposite of what Carney said about the U.S. during the federal election campaign in March, that the U.S. was no longer a “reliable” trading partner.
While Canada and India plan to work towards the trade agreement, the two countries, along with Australia, also announced a trilateral technology and innovation partnership during the G20 summit. This partnership aims to strengthen collaboration in critical minerals, clean energy and artificial intelligence (AI).
Modi’s office said in its statement that both countries reaffirmed their civil nuclear cooperation and ongoing discussions on increased cooperation, such as through long-term uranium supply agreements.
Carney’s office promised to increase diplomatic staffing to strengthen “people-to-people contacts.”
The PMO also added that the two leaders agreed on regular high-level mutual visits, including by ministers and members of the business community.
—with files from David Akin, Stewart Bell, Jeff Semple and Saba Aziz from Global News and The Canadian Press
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