Surprisingly, Canada pauses trade deal talks with India

OTTAWA, Sept 1 (Reuters) – Canada unexpectedly said on Friday it had paused talks on a proposed trade deal with India, just three months after the two nations said they wanted to strike an initial deal this year.

Since 2010, Canada and India have repeatedly discussed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement. Talks officially resumed last year.

“Trade negotiations are long, complex processes. And we have paused to take stock of where we are,” a government official told reporters ahead of a trip by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to New Delhi next week.

The official, who spoke on condition that his name not be released, declined to give further details.

India’s envoy to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, told The Canadian Press on Friday that Ottawa had sought a pause “within the last month” but did not explain why.

India and Canada announced in May that they plan to finalize a first deal this year to expand trade and expand investment, while establishing a dispute-settlement mechanism.

Last month, a senior Indian trade official said New Delhi plans to hold bilateral free trade talks with Canada and other nations on the sidelines of next week’s G20 summit. Trudeau will attend the meeting.

Neither Trudeau’s office nor the office of Commerce Secretary Mary Ng were immediately available for comment.

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