With reference to the India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), consider the following statements: 1. Piyush Goyal is the Minister of International Trade for Canada. 2. The negotiations are targeted to be advanced for November 2025. 3. The agreement aims to boost market access and investment opportunities. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

India and Canada ministers discuss advancing free trade agreement negotiations for November 2026

GS2Polity · Governance · IR· India's bilateral relations· Prelims· 11 November 2026

Bilateral trade and market access: a GS2 International Relations case study on economic diplomacy.

Why in news

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Canada's Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu discussed advancing negotiations for a proposed free trade agreement in November 2026.

Background

India and Canada are discussing the India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The ministers aimed to create a balanced agreement to boost market access and investment opportunities.

Facts for Prelims

FactCEPA: India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
PostPiyush Goyal: India's Commerce and Industry Minister
PostManinder Sidhu: Canada's Minister of International Trade

Prelims practice question

With reference to the India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), consider the following statements:

Piyush Goyal is the Minister of International Trade for Canada.
The negotiations are targeted to be advanced for November 2025.
The agreement aims to boost market access and investment opportunities.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a)3 only
(b)1 and 2 only
(c)2 and 3 only
(d)1, 2 and 3

Show answer

Answer: (a) 3 only — Statement 3 is correct. Statement 1 is incorrect: Piyush Goyal is India's Commerce and Industry Minister. Statement 2 is incorrect: The note states the target is November 2026.

For Mains

Q. Discuss the significance of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs) in strengthening bilateral trade and investment between emerging economies and developed nations.

Dimensions to cover in your answer

Market access: Balancing domestic industry protection with liberalized trade flows
Investment flows: Leveraging CEPA to attract high-value capital and technology transfers

Keywords: Bilateral Trade · Market Access · Investment Opportunities · Economic Partnership

Read the full news →Report a mistake in this note How notes are made Source: The Hindu ↗Also: GS3 · External sector, trade & FDI

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