Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal to Visit Canada for High-Level Business Interactions and India–Canada CEPA Talks

📌 Summary:

• Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will visit Canada from 25–27 May 2026 to advance negotiations of the India–Canada Comprehensive Economic and Partnership Agreement (CEPA)

• A delegation of senior representatives from over 100 Indian businesses will accompany him — spanning metals & mining, energy, automotive, capital goods, aerospace, tourism, leather & textiles, agriculture, telecom and pharmaceuticals

• He will meet Canada's Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu, call on PM Mark Carney, and meet Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand

• India–Canada bilateral trade was about USD 8 billion in FY2025-26 (India's exports USD 4.67 billion, imports USD 3.28 billion); both sides aim to raise it to USD 50 billion by 2030

• CEPA negotiations were launched during PM Carney's visit to India on 2 March 2026; the second round began with a Canadian delegation visiting New Delhi on 4–7 May 2026

• Focus areas include energy security and energy transition, civil nuclear cooperation, and S&T collaboration in AI research, standards and innovation

• Canada hosts a 2.8 million-strong Indian diaspora (1.8 million Indo-Canadians and about 1 million NRIs including students)

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 (Indian Economy) — trade liberalisation, comprehensive trade agreements and India's export strategy; also relevant to GS2 India–Canada bilateral relations and diaspora diplomacy.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• CEPA = Comprehensive Economic and Partnership Agreement; India–Canada CEPA negotiations were launched on 2 March 2026

• India–Canada bilateral trade was about USD 8 billion in FY2025-26; target is USD 50 billion by 2030

• The Indian diaspora in Canada numbers about 2.8 million

🔑 Key Term: CEPA (Comprehensive Economic and Partnership Agreement) — a wide-ranging trade pact covering goods, services and investment, broader and deeper than a conventional Free Trade Agreement.