International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu to visit India and the Philippines

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

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

Following his visit to Mumbai, Sidhu will participate in the 15th ASEAN Economic Ministers–Canada Consultation in Manila, Philippines, on September 21 and 22, 2026.

He will meet with ASEAN partners to advance negotiations toward an ASEAN-Canada free trade agreement and with Filipino partners to advance negotiations toward a Canada-Philippines free trade agreement.

Quick facts

Three rounds of negotiations toward a Canada-India CEPA have been completed, laying the groundwork for a fourth round taking place this week. Canada and India have expressed a shared objective of concluding negotiations by the end of 2026.

Canada aims 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, including $13.6 billion in merchandise trade.

In 2025, the Philippines was Canada’s sixth-largest merchandise export market in ASEAN.

Bilateral merchandise trade between Canada and the Philippines totalled $3.4 billion in 2025, up from $3.2 billion in 2024. Merchandise exports to the Philippines totalled $1.1 billion, down from $1.4 billion in 2024, while imports totalled $2.3 billion, up from $1.8 billion.

Canada-ASEAN bilateral merchandise trade reached $52.5 billion in 2025, up 23.7 per cent from $42.4 billion in 2024.

Merchandise imports from ASEAN have increased by 100.1 per cent since 2020, highlighting the region’s growing role as a trade partner.