Bilateral Updates

The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between India and the United Kingdom will come into force from July 15 with both sides reaching an understanding on the last-leg issues around Britain’s steel safeguard measures. The date for Entry into Force (EIF) of the agreement was announced by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Prime Minister Narendra Modi after their meeting on the sidelines of the G-7 Summit at Evian in France.

Canadian and Indian officials have expressed optimism about ongoing negotiations on a proposed free trade agreement during a business summit in Regina, amid renewed engagement between the two countries after trade talks stalled in 2023, according to media reports. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, Canada's High Commissioner to India Chris Cooter and India's High Commissioner to Canada Dinesh Patnaik, on Friday, participated in the Western Canada-India Leaders Summit in Regina, capital city of the Saskatchewan province, where they discussed bilateral ties and negotiations on the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), and spoke with delegations.

India and Canada have decided to focus on low-hanging fruit, work on areas of convergence and avoid seeking concessions in sensitive sectors in the negotiations for the proposed free trade agreement, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said. The two countries are negotiating a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The third round of negotiations is underway in Ottawa.