Modi to Visit Canada in December as India, Canada Push for Trade Deal
Canadian PM Mark Carney said PM Narendra Modi is expected in Canada in December, as the two countries fast-track CEPA talks with a fifth round due October 5.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Canada in December, with both countries working to finalise a trade agreement before the end of the year.
Speaking at a news briefing on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Carney described the relationship with India as "exceptionally important" and said negotiations were progressing well. He added that he looked forward to hosting Modi around that time.
The remarks come amid a renewed push by the two countries to conclude a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). On September 21, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said India and Canada had agreed to fast-track the negotiations, with the fifth round of talks scheduled to begin on October 5.
Goyal said he had concluded the fourth round of negotiations with his Canadian counterpart, International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu, in Mumbai the previous week. He described the discussions as productive and said the pace of negotiations was improving, calling the next 90 days a defining period for the relationship.
Canada has said a deal with India, one of the world's fastest-growing economies, could double bilateral trade to USD 70 billion. Ahead of Sidhu's September 18-19 visit to Mumbai, the Canadian side said three rounds of the fresh CEPA negotiations had been completed, with both sides aiming to conclude talks by the end of 2026.
India and Canada have discussed a comprehensive trade pact for more than a decade. Negotiations were formally relaunched in March 2022, with the two sides also pursuing an Early Progress Trade Agreement as an interim step. Nine rounds were held between 2022 and 2023 before the process was paused in August 2023 amid strained bilateral relations.
Engagement resumed in 2025, and the two countries launched a fresh CEPA process, with Goyal and Sidhu signing the Terms of Reference on March 2, 2026, during Carney's visit to India. Both governments have committed to seeking a conclusion by the end of 2026.
Bilateral trade between India and Canada stood at around USD 8 billion in FY 2025-26, with India exporting goods worth USD 4.67 billion and importing goods worth USD 3.28 billion, according to Commerce Ministry figures.