India, Canada working towards concluding CEPA trade pact by late 2026: MEA – Firstpost

India and Canada are working towards concluding negotiations for the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) by the end of 2026, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed Parliament on Friday.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said three rounds of CEPA negotiations have been held so far, with the latest round taking place in Ottawa from July 6-10, 2026.

“Progress has been made across multiple negotiating tracks, with both sides working towards concluding the process by late 2026,” the minister said.

The MEA said the proposed India-Canada CEPA aims to establish a free trade area by eliminating or reducing tariffs and other trade restrictions. The agreement is also intended to progressively liberalise trade in goods and services, promote a more transparent, predictable and facilitative trade and investment regime, and strengthen economic cooperation and people-to-people ties.

The government also highlighted the improvement in bilateral ties following the normalisation process that began in June 2025.

According to the MEA, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Evian, France, on June 16, 2026. During the meeting, both leaders welcomed the positive momentum in India-Canada relations and reviewed progress made since the resumption of diplomatic engagement.

The ministry highlighted key developments, including the return of high commissioners to each other’s capitals, the gradual restoration of diplomatic mission personnel, the resumption of bilateral dialogue mechanisms across various sectors, and renewed high-level exchanges.