Canada, India restart trade talks under new process, says Sidhu

Canada, India restart trade talks under new process, says Sidhu
Sidhu gesture in New Delhi, India, November 13, 2025.
Reuters

Canada and India are reopening trade talks after a two-year freeze, with both sides aiming for what Ottawa calls a “new process”, Canadian Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu said on Thursday in New Delhi.

Sidhu met Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal for what he described as a productive discussion on cooperation in critical minerals, clean energy, agriculture, aerospace and artificial intelligence.

He said the shift follows the arrival of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government and changing global dynamics. “It’s a new government, a new focus, a new mandate,” Sidhu said.

The minister said Canada welcomes Indian investment in its critical mineral and energy sectors, stressing that the country holds all the materials needed to build an electric battery.

Talks had been suspended in 2023 after relations soured over the killing of a Canadian Sikh separatist, but both sides now appear ready to move forward.

Two-way trade reached about $31 billion in 2024, driven mainly by Canada’s $16 billion in services exports.

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