What happened
India and Canada on September 14, 2026 began the fourth round of CEPA talks in New Delhi, scheduled over five days till September 18 covering goods, services, rules of origin and technical barriers.
India and Canada kicked off the fourth round of CEPA negotiations in New Delhi on Sep 14, 2026, aiming to close the pact by year-end after a reset in ties.
The Sep 14-18 agenda includes trade in goods, services, rules of origin and technical barriers, building on the third round held in Ottawa in July 2026.
The push follows the March 2026 Modi-Carney summit where both leaders agreed to conclude CEPA by December and deepen energy and critical minerals cooperation.
Bilateral trade dipped 8.22% to USD 7.95 billion in 2025-26, with the two sides now targeting USD 50 billion (CAD 70 billion) by 2030.
Over 4.25 lakh Indian students in Canada and strong diaspora links add weight to the economic push, as technical talks give way to higher-level stock-taking.
Timeline
How the CEPA talks have progressed to the fourth round.
- March 2026 — PM Modi and Canadian PM Mark Carney meet in New Delhi, agree to conclude CEPA by year-end.
- July 2026 — Third round of CEPA talks held in Ottawa.
- Sep 14-18, 2026 — Fourth round begins in New Delhi covering goods, services, rules of origin and technical barriers.
What India trades with Canada
India exports pharma, steel, seafood, cotton garments, electronics, chemicals, gems and jewellery, machinery and auto parts to Canada. Imports from Canada include pulses, fertilisers, coal and mineral fuels, paper and pulp, crude, pearls and scrap and aircraft parts.
What next
Technical discussions this week will be followed by higher-level reviews as both sides try to narrow gaps before the December 2026 deadline. Progress will be tracked against the USD 50bn / CAD 70bn 2030 ambition and the March 2026 joint statement.
Why it matters for me
A concluded CEPA could cut tariffs and ease market access for exporters on both sides and help reverse the 8.22% dip in bilateral trade to USD 7.95 billion in 2025-26.
Money · Work
Exporters Importers · Business Executives
If concluded, CEPA could cut tariffs and ease access for Indian pharma, garments and engineering goods in Canada and for Canadian pulses and resources in India.
Money
Policy Makers · Business Executives
A year-end deal would anchor the USD 50bn / CAD 70bn trade ambition for 2030 and help reverse the 8.22% dip to USD 7.95bn in 2025-26.
Daily Life
General Public
Stronger economic ties complement the 4.25 lakh+ Indian students and large diaspora in Canada, supporting mobility and services links.
What to remember
Delhi and Ottawa are racing to wrap up the CEPA by December 2026 with a USD 50 billion trade ambition for 2030.
India-Canada begin 4th round of CEPA talks in Delhi — 5-day agenda, year-end deal target, $50bn trade ambition by 2030.
Verified sources (4)
India, Canada begin next round of talks on proposed trade pact: Official
↗India, Canada begin next round of talks on proposed trade pact
↗India, Canada begin next round of talks on proposed trade pact: Official
↗India, Canada kick off 4th round of trade talks
↗Claims and linked sources
12 claimsIndia and Canada began the fourth round of negotiations for the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in New Delhi on Monday, 14 September 2026.
The talks are scheduled to run for five days from 14 to 18 September 2026 in New Delhi.
The agenda covers trade in goods, services, rules of origin, and technical trade barriers, among other issues.
Both countries have set a target to conclude the CEPA negotiations before the end of 2026.
The third round of CEPA negotiations was held in Ottawa in July 2026.
India and Canada have targeted to increase bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2030 (also framed as CAD 70 billion / Rs 4.65 lakh crore per the Modi-Carney joint statement of March 2026).
Two-way trade in 2025-26 fell 8.22% to USD 7.95 billion (exports USD 4.67bn, imports USD 3.28bn) from USD 8.66 billion in 2024-25 (exports USD 4.22bn, imports USD 4.44bn).
Canada hosts over 4,25,000 Indian students and a strong Indian diaspora.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian PM Mark Carney agreed in New Delhi in March 2026 to conclude CEPA by year-end and to deepen cooperation in energy and critical minerals.
Key Indian exports to Canada include pharmaceuticals, iron and steel, seafood, cotton garments, electronic goods, chemicals, jewellery/gems, machinery parts, engineering goods and auto parts.
Major Indian imports from Canada include pulses, fertiliser, coal / mineral fuels, paper / wood pulp, petroleum crude, pearls and semi-precious stones, iron & aluminium scrap, and aircraft parts.
The CEPA push reflects a marked thaw in bilateral ties after relations hit rock bottom under former Canadian PM Justin Trudeau's tenure; Carney's March 2026 visit reset the relationship.
Community signals
Signal-only · not reporting“India and Canada on Monday started fourth round of negotiations for the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), as the two sides look to conclude the talks this year, an official said.”
“The leaders expressed confidence that a comprehensive trade framework would serve as a durable economic anchor for the partnership and support the shared aspiration of expanding bilateral trade to (Canadian) $70 billion (Rs 4.65 lakh crore) by 2030.”