India, Canada begin next round of talks on proposed trade pact: Official

India and Canada on Monday started fourth round of negotiations for the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), as the two sides look to conclude the talks this year, an official said.

The issues that would figure in the five-day (September 14-18) talks include trade in goods, services, rules of origin, and technical trade barriers, among others.

The third round was held in July in Ottawa, the official said.


The negotiations are important as the two sides have targeted to increase bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2030.

In 2025-26, two-way trade dipped 8.22 per cent to USD 7.95 billion (USD 4.67 billion exports and USD 3.28 billion imports) from USD 8.66 billion in 2024-25 (USD 4.22 billion exports and USD 4.44 billion imports).

Key exports from India to Canada include pharmaceuticals, iron and steel, seafood, cotton garments, electronic goods and chemicals, among others.

The main imports include pulses, pearls and semi-precious stones, coal, fertiliser, paper and petroleum crude. India's main services sector exports include telecommunications, computer and information services, and other business services.

Canada is also home to over 4,25,000 Indian students and a strong Indian community.