International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu left Ottawa on September 17 2026 for a multi-day mission to New Delhi and Manila aimed at accelerating two stalled economic pacts: the Canada–India Early Progress Trade Agreement and the Canada–Philippines free-trade talks nested under the broader ASEAN negotiation. Sidhu’s agenda includes round-tables with aerospace, AI, clean-energy and critical-minerals companies—sectors Ottawa believes can offset Canada’s heavy reliance on the US market. According to Global Affairs Canada, non-US exports have grown 17 percent ($33 billion) in the past 12 months, but officials say deeper frameworks are needed to lock in that momentum. For Canadian multinationals moving staff across the Indo-Pacific, the talks could yield streamlined business-visitor provisions and faster professional-mobility visas similar to the CPTPP’s temporary-entry chapter. Corporate relocation teams should track whether negotiators include mutual recognition of professional qualifications, a sticking point in services trade. The trip comes amid renewed diplomatic warmth after last year’s India–Canada intelligence row, suggesting both governments are eager to separate trade from geopolitical disputes. A follow-up round is pencilled in for November in Vancouver, where details on talent mobility and digital-trade chapters are expected.
Source: The Canadian Press via rdnewsnow
