India-Canada trade pact talks already on halt, says govt source
This story was originally published at 17:08 IST on 16 October 2024
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--Govt source: India-Canada trade pact talks already on halt
--Govt source: India-Canada trade continuing on usual course
NEW DELHI – Amid rising tensions between India and the Canadian administration, a senior commerce ministry source said Wednesday that the free trade agreement negotiations with the latter are already on hold and there is no further movement in that direction. Free trade agreement talks between India and Canada were resumed after a decade in March 2022 but have been paused since September 2023 owing to the sour bilateral relations.
The commerce ministry source's comments come after the Indian government Monday decided to withdraw its High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma and other "targeted diplomats and officials" from Canada, citing lack of faith in the "current Canadian government's commitment to ensure their security" as the reason for the move. The decision was taken after the "baseless targeting of the diplomats and officials in Canada" in connection with the murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Ministry of External Affairs had said.
India-Canada relations suffered a major setback in September last year when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that the Indian government had a hand in the assassination of Nijjar, a Canada-based Khalistan separatist whom New Delhi has designated as a terrorist. However, India has since rejected the charges as absurd and motivated. The Canadian authorities have also arrested four Indian nationals in connection with the murder of Nijjar. This exacerbated tensions between the two nations.
Even as the trade pact negotiations are on hold, routine trade between the two countries is happening on the usual course, the source said. Though concerns were raised about the possible impact on trade relations, India's trade with Canada is already miniscule. In Apr-Jul of the current fiscal, India exported goods worth $13.09 million to Canada, 5.2% higher than the corresponding period last year. Imports from Canada in the same period were $13.75 million, up 3.9% from year ago. End
US$1 = INR 83.99
Reported by Priyasmita Dutta
Edited by Akul Nishant Akhoury
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