Canada advances trade talks on agreements with India, ASEAN, and the Philippines

News release

September 17, 2026 - Mumbai, India - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade, will be in Mumbai, India, on September 18 and 19 to strengthen Canada’s trade and investment relationship with one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

During the visit, Minister Sidhu will meet with Piyush Goyal, India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, as well as with other government officials and business representatives to discuss bilateral trade and investment ties and to advance negotiations toward a Canada-India comprehensive economic partnership agreement.

Minister Sidhu will also engage in business outreach to advance Canada’s trade objectives in the region.

After Mumbai, Minister Sidhu will be participating in the Fifteenth Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Economic Ministers-Canada Consultation in Manila, Philippines on September 21-22, 2026. He will meet with ASEAN partners to advance the ASEAN-Canada free trade agreement negotiations and with Filipino partners to advance negotiations toward a Canada-Philippines free trade agreement.

Quotes

“I look forward to joining my negotiating teams in India and the Philippines for the ASEAN Economic Ministers–Canada Consultations, as we build momentum and work towards concluding trade agreements with each of these partners. India, ASEAN, and the Philippines are among the fastest-growing economies in the world. I will be meeting with government and business leaders to strengthen our trade relationships and attract new investment to Canada. We already have preferential access to a market of 1.5 billion consumers, and by concluding agreements with these partners, we will double that reach to 3 billion.”

–Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade

Quick facts

Three rounds of negotiations toward a Canada-India CEPA have been completed, laying the groundwork for a fourth round of negotiations happening this week. Canada and India have expressed the shared objective of concluding negotiations by the end of 2026.
Canada is looking to double exports to markets beyond the United States over the next decade, including doubling two-way trade with India to $70 billion annually by 2030.
In 2025, two-way goods and services trade between Canada and India totalled $30.4 billion, of which $13.6 billion was in merchandise trade.
In 2025, the Philippines was Canada’s sixth-largest merchandise export market in ASEAN.
In 2025, bilateral merchandise trade totalled $3.4 billion ($3.2 billion in 2024), with merchandise exports to the Philippines totalling $1.1 billion ($1.4 billion in 2024) and imports from the Philippines totalling $2.3 billion ($1.8 billion in 2024).
In 2025, Canada-ASEAN bilateral merchandise trade reached $52.5 billion, up 23.7% from $42.4 billion in 2024.
Merchandises imports from ASEAN have increased by 100.1% since 2020, underscoring the region’s growing role as a key partner.

Associated links

Contacts

Huzaif Qaisar
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of International Trade
343-575-8816
Huzaif.Qaisar@international.gc.ca

Mujtaba Hussain
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of International Trade
343-203-7332
Mujtaba.Hussain@international.gc.ca

Media Relations Office
Global Affairs Canada
media@international.gc.ca
Follow us on X: @CanadaTrade
Like us on Facebook: Canada’s international trade - Global Affairs Canada

Page details

2026-09-17