According to aninews.in, Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu highlighted critical minerals as a cornerstone for deepening India–Canada economic ties during the 2026 G20 Trade Ministers Meeting in Milwaukee on October 2.
Strategic Focus on Critical Minerals
Sidhu emphasized that Canada is uniquely positioned to support India’s supply chain diversification, particularly for its expanding auto, electric vehicle, and battery sectors. He noted that Canada is the only country in the Western Hemisphere that has every single element to make an electro-paddock, underscoring its comprehensive critical minerals portfolio. This capability aligns with India’s urgent need to secure resilient inputs for clean energy infrastructure.
He cited concrete collaboration avenues, including joint projects in energy, critical minerals, and aerospace — all anchored in mutual industrial complementarity. The minister stressed that these initiatives are not theoretical: Canada recently concluded an investment summit in Toronto that yielded $500 million in fresh commitments from international investors.
The push comes amid accelerated negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with the fifth round scheduled to begin in Ottawa immediately following the fourth round held in Mumbai the previous week.
Bilateral Trade Targets and Current Baseline
India and Canada have jointly set an ambitious goal to scale bilateral trade from USD 30 billion to USD 70 billion over the next five years. To date, trade stood at approximately USD 8 billion in FY 2025–26, comprising Indian exports valued at USD 4.67 billion and imports totaling USD 3.28 billion, according to the Union Commerce Ministry.
Sidhu described the CEPA talks as instrumental in building complementary economic linkages, with supply chain diversification explicitly embedded in the negotiation framework. Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal confirmed both sides agreed to fast-track the process, identifying the next 90 days as pivotal for progress toward concluding the agreement by the end of 2026.
Both ministers underscored mining and energy project participation by Indian firms in Canada as high-potential areas — directly linking resource access, manufacturing capacity, and long-term trade growth.
Source: aninews.in
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
