Canada and India could sign trade deal within a year, envoy says

India's high commissioner to Canada said a comprehensive trade agreement could be completed within a year as Prime Minister Mark Carney prepares to visit India; formal negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement were launched in November.

India's high commissioner to Ottawa said Canada could sign a comprehensive trade agreement with India within a year as Prime Minister Mark Carney plans a visit. Patnaik said a 12-month timeline is not overly ambitious given a shifting geopolitical climate and both countries' recent experience negotiating trade deals. Formal negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement were launched in November and are intended to cover goods, services, investment, agriculture and digital trade. Talks between Canada and India have stalled at times since 2010 and collapsed in 2023 after Ottawa accused unnamed Indian officials of involvement in a killing and related criminal activity; India rejected those allegations. Key points: - Dinesh Patnaik, India's high commissioner to Canada, said a comprehensive trade deal could be completed in about 12 months. - Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to visit India and meet government and business officials in New Delhi and Mumbai. - Negotiations formally launched in November aim for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement covering most goods and services, including investment, agriculture and digital trade. - Talks between the two countries have been stalled or narrowed since 2010, with past disputes including protective measures and changes to import protocols. - Ottawa and New Delhi have moved to structured talks on security while also signing agreements on energy, climate change and high-tech research in the past year. Summary: A completed comprehensive agreement would affect two-way trade and both governments have expressed intent to increase commerce. Prime Minister Carney's visit is expected to advance negotiations, and India's envoy has proposed a roughly 12-month timeline for concluding the talks.