On March 2, negotiations for a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) were initiated between India and Canada.
The topic of Goyal’s visit was broached during his meeting with Maninder Sidhu, Canada’s Minister of International Trade, at the 14th ministerial conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Yaounde, Cameroon.
Bilateral discussions emphasized speeding up the recently commenced India-Canada CEPA negotiations. According to a statement from the commerce ministry, “(Maninder) Sidhu warmly welcomed Goyal for his upcoming May 2026 visit to Canada, leading a significant Indian business delegation.”
The ministry noted that India also supported Canada’s initiative to dispatch a business delegation to India, focusing on high-tech sectors like aerospace, defense, and space.
Highlighting the significance of transitioning to clean energy, both ministers agreed to explore collaboration in nuclear energy and other essential areas, including agriculture and critical minerals.
In a meeting with UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Peter J Kyle, Goyal discussed the implementation of the comprehensive economic and trade agreement (CETA), which was signed on July 24, 2025.
India has finalized all internal approvals and ratification processes for the India-UK agreement, with Kyle confirming that the UK has also secured parliamentary approval for the pact.
“Both parties are eager for the India-UK CETA to enter into force as per the agreed timelines,” said the ministry, adding that Goyal stressed the importance of outreach efforts to ensure that the advantages of CETA are realized by businesses throughout India.
During a meeting with EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, the Indian minister reviewed the progress on signing the recently completed India-EU FTA.
Both sides agreed to work towards completing the necessary procedures to facilitate the signing of the India-EU FTA as soon as possible.
Goyal also engaged in bilateral discussions with Todd Michael McClay, New Zealand’s Minister for Trade and Investment, on the sidelines of WTO MC14.
The ministers briefly discussed preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s forthcoming visit to New Zealand.
New Zealand expressed great enthusiasm for this visit, confirming that a comprehensive list of deliverables is in the final stages of preparation by both parties.
(Edited by : Srabastee Biswas)
