Overview
- Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said he will travel to Canada in May with a business delegation to push the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, a broad trade deal between the two countries.
- The two sides signed terms of reference in March and held their first negotiating round from March 9 to 20, with a goal to conclude the pact by the end of 2026.
- Talks with the Gulf Cooperation Council have paused because of the West Asia war, and India says it will seek access to Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar after sealing agreements with the UAE and Oman.
- India is also pursuing deals with Chile and Peru, engaging the Eurasian Economic Union and the South African Customs Union, and updating its trade arrangement with Brazil and other Mercosur members.
- Goyal also announced a three-year waiver of fees for sports-related trademarks, patents and other IP to lower filing costs for athletes, teams and event organizers.