Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday held discussions with his Canadian counterpart Maninder Sidhu on strengthening economic cooperation, signalling a possible thaw in bilateral trade relations that had soured in recent years.“We discussed ways to find mutually beneficial opportunities for our businesses to capitalise on the complementarities offered by our two economies. I emphasised that economic, trade and investment ties between India and Canada should be grounded in the principles of mutual respect, trust and balance,” Goyal said in a post on X after the meeting, PTI reported.Canada’s Minister of International Trade, Maninder Sidhu, in his post on X said he held talks with India’s commerce minister to advance discussions on deepening economic engagement and increasing connectivity between the two countries.“Together, we’re exploring new trade opportunities in clean technology, AI, agriculture, critical minerals, and other key sectors,” he said.Responding to the post, Goyal added: “Held a productive discussion with my Canadian counterpart @MSidhuLiberal.”The meeting gains significance as negotiations for a free trade agreement between the two nations were paused in 2023 following diplomatic tensions. India-Canada relations had plunged after then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged an Indian link to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a claim New Delhi dismissed as “absurd.”Talks for an interim trade deal, officially called the Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA), were re-launched in March 2022, with over six rounds of negotiations held so far. The pact aims to reduce or eliminate customs duties on key goods and liberalise investment and services trade between the two nations.India’s exports to Canada rose 9.8 per cent to $4.22 billion in 2024–25 from $3.84 billion in 2023–24, while imports dipped 2.33 per cent to $4.44 billion in the same period.Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on Sunday, further underscoring the renewed momentum in bilateral ties. The fresh diplomatic warmth follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 summit at Kananaskis in June, where the two leaders discussed rebuilding trust and expanding economic engagement.
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