Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal is in Canada for the sixth India-Canada Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment (MDTI).

He along with Canada’s Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development Mary Ng will co-chair the discussions for dialogue in Ottawa.

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The MDTI is a bilateral mechanism that provides an institutional mechanism to discuss a broad spectrum of trade and investment-related issues and cooperation areas.

The dialogue will focus on various themes including strengthening the bilateral trade relationship between India and Canada, investment promotion and cooperation and green transition, including Critical Minerals discussion and new Areas of Cooperation such as promoting B2B engagements.

The Ministers will also review the India-Canada CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) negotiations. At the last MDTI meeting in March 2022, both Ministers launched the CEPA negotiations with the possibility of having an interim agreement or EPTA (Early Progress Trade Agreement). Since then, seven rounds of negotiations have been held.

Goyal will also be visiting Toronto where he will have various engagements to promote trade and investment. These engagements will include meetings with CEOs of key Canadian companies, a Round Table of Indian and Canadian CEOs, interaction with Canadian and Indian companies based in Canada and a Financial Sector Round Table, etc. The minister would be accompanied by a delegation of Indian CEOs led by FICCI.

He will also inaugurate the Indian Pavilion at SIAL CANADA-2023, which is the largest food innovation trade show in North America with the participation of more than 1000 national & international exhibitors from 50 countries. The event will address the needs of the retail, food service and food processing industries.

At SIAL Canada, Indian business participation consists of a delegation from the Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI), the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), and the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM). There will also be a Trade and Investment Promotion Event for the Agricultural and Food Processing sector with Indian companies and Canadian importers on the sidelines of SIAL-2023. This event is likely to be attended by 200 companies.