India and Canada Begin Fifth Round of CEPA Trade Talks in Ottawa
The chief negotiators of India and Canada begin the fifth round of talks on a proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in Ottawa from 5 October 2026. The five-day round may end on 9 October.
The fourth round ended in New Delhi on 18 September 2026. Both sides aim to finish the negotiations by the end of 2026.
Canada's Trade Minister is expected to visit New Delhi later in October with a business delegation of about 300 members. The Indian Prime Minister is expected to visit Canada around December 2026.
India-Canada goods trade fell 8.23% to $7.95 billion in 2025-26 (from $8.7 billion in 2024-25). India's exports rose 10.63% to $4.67 billion, while imports from Canada fell 26.14% to $3.28 billion.
Canada has invested about $4.8 billion as foreign direct investment (FDI) in India between April 2000 and June 2026.
India-Canada Relations: History, Rupture and Reset
India and Canada are both democracies, Commonwealth members and G20 members, with a very large Indian-origin community in Canada. Their relationship has swung between friendship and sharp breakdowns. The two biggest strains came from India's 1974 nuclear test and, much later, from the 2023 dispute over the killing of a Khalistan separatist in Canada. Since 2025, both sides have been rebuilding ties, with trade at the centre.
The fifth round in Ottawa shows how far the relationship has come since the 2023 freeze. Faster talks, ministerial visits and a planned Prime Ministerial visit all point to trade being used as the main engine of the reset.
Free Trade Agreements: Concept and WTO Framework
A Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is a deal between two or more countries to remove or sharply cut import taxes (tariffs) on most goods they trade with each other, while each keeps its own tariffs for outside countries. India uses different names for its FTAs. A CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) is a wide FTA: it covers goods, and also services, investment and the movement of skilled professionals. WTO rules allow FTAs as an exception to the "same treatment for all" principle, if they cover "substantially all trade".
The India-Canada pact under negotiation is a CEPA, so it is expected to go beyond tariff cuts to cover services, investment and the movement of skilled workers. Both sides now aim to finish it by the end of 2026.
- 5th round of India-Canada CEPA talks: Ottawa, 5 to 9 October 2026; 4th round ended 18 September 2026 in New Delhi
- Target: conclude negotiations by end of 2026
- Talks first launched 2015; EPTA talks launched March 2022; paused 2023; resumed November 2025
- Bilateral goods trade 2025-26: $7.95 billion (down 8.23%); India's exports $4.67 billion (up 10.63%); imports $3.28 billion (down 26.14%)
- Canadian FDI into India: about $4.8 billion (April 2000 to June 2026)
- Indian diaspora in Canada: about 2.9 million; Indian students: over 4,27,000
- Trade target set in March 2026: CAD 70 billion by 2030