CANADA — Canada and India are scheduled to begin a fifth round of negotiations on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement Monday, with both sides working toward a deal by the end of 2026.

Global Affairs Canada confirmed October 5–9 as the negotiating dates in a readout of International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu’s meeting with Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.

The ministers met on the sidelines of the G20 Trade Ministers’ Meeting in Milwaukee. The upcoming round is scheduled to take place in Ottawa, according to reporting by Business Standard.

A negotiating target, not a signed agreement

Sidhu emphasized reaching a mutually beneficial agreement by year-end. No completed trade pact or final tariff schedule has been announced in the readout.

The ministers also discussed a Team Canada Trade Mission to India scheduled for October 12–17. Sidhu highlighted Canadian energy, critical minerals and other commodities as areas of potential partnership.

What Canadian stakeholders want

Global Affairs Canada’s consultation report says stakeholders want predictable market access and enforceable rules. Agricultural exporters raised tariffs and regulatory barriers; manufacturing groups called for more consistent standards.

The report also records concerns about protecting sensitive sectors, labour and environmental standards, and unresolved security and human-rights issues. Those submissions describe negotiating priorities and concerns, rather than terms already agreed with India.

Sources: Global Affairs Canada, October 2; Canadian consultation report; Business Standard’s Ottawa negotiating-round report.

Representative Canadian trade file photograph: Canada Place and Vancouver’s container port at night, September 27, 2021, by Paul Harrison / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; resized. Not a photograph of the negotiations.