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Informist, Tuesday, Apr. 28, 2026

 

NEW DELHI – Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will go to Canada in May to speed up free-trade-agreement negotiations with the country. "We have already finalised terms of reference with Canada and launched the negotiations. I'll be going next month for speeding up the negotiations with Canada," he said at a press conference.

 

The negotiations between the countries had halted in September 2023 at a time when bilateral relations had broken down. As relations between India and Canada improved last year, the two sides began negotiations for an FTA in December.

 

He also said that India was working on trade agreements with Chile and the MERCOSUR bloc, which includes Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela. "Discussions are going on with Chile. Their minister is going to be here on the 12th," he said.

 

Negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council have halted because of the West Asia War, Goyal said. "But we will open up all of the other four markets--Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar," he said. Moreover, negotiations are under way with Eurasia, which includes Russia and central European countries, he said. "We are also talking to Southern African Customs Union," Goyal said.  End

 

Reported by Sagar Sen

Edited by Akul Nishant Akhoury

 

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