Our Bureau
Milwaukee, WI
Canada sees an opportunity to support India’s supply chain diversification through critical minerals, particularly for the country’s growing auto, electric vehicle and battery sectors, Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu said.
Speaking at the 2026 G20 Trade Ministers Meeting in Milwaukee on the India-Canada trade deal, Sidhu said critical minerals were among the areas where the two countries could build greater economic cooperation.
“India is looking to diversify some of its supply chains. If you look at critical minerals, India has a growing auto sector, and for EVs and batteries, Canada is the only country in the Western Hemisphere that has every single element to make an electro-paddock. And so there is something that we can add,” Sidhu said.
He said the two countries had several projects they could work on together, including in energy, critical minerals and aerospace, while pointing to fresh investment commitments in Canada.
Goyal’s meeting with Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu focused on negotiations for the India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, or CEPA, and the two countries’ target of taking bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2030.
“A productive meeting with Mr. Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade of Canada, on the sidelines of the G20 Trade Ministers Meeting in Milwaukee,” Goyal said.
“We reviewed the ongoing negotiations for the India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), launched by our Prime Ministers in March this year, to take bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2030,” he said.
Goyal stated that the meeting built on his recent discussions with Sidhu in Mumbai.
“Building on our recent meeting in Mumbai, we reaffirmed our commitment to expediting negotiations and working towards an early conclusion of the agreement,” he said.
The latest push comes as both countries seek to conclude the broader trade agreement by the end of 2026.
Bilateral trade between India and Canada stood at around USD 8 billion in FY 2025-26, with India exporting goods worth USD 4.67 billion and importing USD 3.28 billion, according to the Commerce Ministry.