As Canada looks to deepening economic engagement with India, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development Mary Ng will lead a five-day trade mission to India this October.
In an announcement, she said that she will lead the Team Canada Trade Mission to India from October 9 to 13, which will be followed by another to Japan in late October.
“Join me on these great opportunities to access the fastest-growing region in the world - the Indo-Pacific,” she said.
Inviting interest in the mission, the Trade Commissioner Service or TCS said that Mumbai was confirmed as a location for the trip though other cities could potentially be added.
“India is a priority market with great potential for growth and success for Canadian companies of all sizes. Building off strong people-to-people ties, the Government of Canada is putting in place the conditions to facilitate greater commercial ties, including through the negotiation of an Early Progress Trade Agreement,” a description of the event noted.
The proposed trade mission was originally announced by Ng at an event organised by the Canada-India Business Council in Toronto in May this year. She did so in the presence of Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal who was on a bilateral visit to Canada at the time.
{{/usCountry}}The proposed trade mission was originally announced by Ng at an event organised by the Canada-India Business Council in Toronto in May this year. She did so in the presence of Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal who was on a bilateral visit to Canada at the time.
{{/usCountry}}Reacting to the announcement, Winnipeg-based Hemant Shah, trade director of the Overseas Friends of India Canada or OFIC, said, “This trade mission will open the doors for many Canadian companies as India is a booming economy. It will show the commitment by the Canadian Government to the Indian Government and Indian industry.”
Ng is likely to meet Goyal during her October visit. But before that, Ng will be in India for the G20 Trade Ministers vertical in Jaipur, where a bilateral conversation is expected.
They are expected to continue discussions towards the EPTA on the margins of the multilateral event.
Several sectors have been identified for focus during the mission. These include agriculture and processed foods, arts and cultural industries, clean technologies, industrial machinery, information and communications technologies, infrastructure, and life sciences. “We anticipate a high demand for participation in this mission,” the notice said.