- By Aditya Pratap Singh
- Wed, 18 Feb 2026 06:26 PM (IST)
- Source:PTI
India- Canada Free Trade Agreement: After finalising eight free-trade agreements (FTAs) and various bilateral trade pacts, India is set to finalise the terms of reference for initiating talks for an FTA with Canada.
The trade agreement talk would likely begin during the visit of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to India next month, news agency PTI said, citing an official.
The terms of reference (ToR) will outline the scope and modalities of a proposed trade pact.
Over the past few years, India has finalised eight free trade agreements (FTAs) with 37 developed countries, and negotiations are underway or about to begin with several more, including Chile and Peru.
India-Canada Trade Talk Was Halted Earlier
The two countries were previously negotiating a trade deal, but Canada halted it in 2023. Because much has changed on the global trade front in the past two years, they have now decided to restart negotiations from the beginning.
The official said that both sides are working to finalise the ToR for a mutually beneficial trade agreement.
"It is likely to be finalised during the visit of Canada's prime minister," the official added.
Chief Negotiators Appointed
To take forward negotiations, India and Canada have appointed their Chief Negotiators to negotiate the trade deal.
Brij Mohan Mishra, Joint Secretary of the Department of Commerce, is the Chief Negotiator for the Indian side, and Bruce Christie is the Chief Negotiator for Canada.
India's exports to Canada are projected to increase from $3.84 billion in 2023-24 to US$4.22 billion in 2024-25.
However, imports declined by 2.33 per cent in the previous fiscal year to US$4.44 billion, compared to US$4.55 billion in 2023-24.
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In 2023, bilateral trade in goods and services was estimated at US$18.38 billion. Canada has approximately 2.9 million Indian diaspora and over 427,000 Indian students.
(With Inputs From PTI)