India and Canada are beginning the fifth round of negotiations for their proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in Ottawa, with both sides working towards completing the trade agreement by the end of 2026.

The five day round of talks will continue until October 9. The previous round was held in New Delhi and concluded on September 18, with officials now seeking to accelerate discussions towards a final agreement.

In March this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed to target the completion of CEPA negotiations by the end of the year. During their meeting in New Delhi, the two leaders also agreed to strengthen cooperation in the energy and critical minerals sectors.

The leaders said a comprehensive trade framework could provide a lasting economic foundation for the bilateral partnership and support the shared goal of increasing trade between the two countries to 4.65 lakh crore rupees by 2030.

Bilateral trade in goods between India and Canada was valued at 8.66 billion US dollars in 2024 to 25. India’s exports to Canada during the period stood at 4.22 billion US dollars.