Canada Seeks to Revive Trade Talks With India, Says Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu.
Canada is looking to rebuild and strengthen trade relations with India after a two-year hiatus, according to Canadian Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu. On a three-day visit to India, Sidhu said Ottawa is exploring a “new process” to restart trade negotiations, focusing on expanding cooperation in key sectors.
Sidhu met with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, describing the discussions as “very productive,” covering critical minerals, clean energy, agriculture, artificial intelligence, and aerospace. “We focused on areas of opportunity and what more we can do together,” he told Reuters.
Restarting Trade Talks
The talks mark the first major high-level engagement since Canada paused broad trade pact negotiations in 2023 following tensions over the killing of a Canadian Sikh separatist. Sidhu said both countries are now in early discussions to resume talks, considering global economic shifts and US-imposed tariffs affecting both nations.
Canada’s new government under Prime Minister Mark Carney brings fresh energy to attract Indian investment, particularly in the energy and critical minerals sectors. “Canada has every element needed to build an electric battery,” Sidhu noted, encouraging Indian participation in mining and infrastructure projects.
Economic and Cultural Ties
Trade between India and Canada reached $31 billion in 2024, with services exports favoring Canada. India is also Canada’s largest source of immigrants, with nearly 393,000 Indian students and over 1.8 million Canadians of Indian origin.
Sidhu met executives from major Indian companies, including Tata, who showed interest in expanding operations in Canada. He added that Goyal plans to visit Canada soon with a trade and investment delegation, signaling renewed momentum in bilateral economic relations.
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