Minister of International Trade Mary Ng speaks to reporters during the Liberal Cabinet retreat in Charlottetown, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. Ng isn't saying whether a major visit to India is going ahead, raising questions about a halted trade deal amid frosty relations between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his counterpart in New Delhi. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese
OTTAWA – Canada is postponing a trade mission to India that federal Trade Minister Mary Ng had promoted as key to the Indo-Pacific strategy.
Ng’s office has not explained why the trip, which was scheduled to start Oct. 9, has been postponed.
Canada has paused negotiations for a trade deal with India, and relations between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his counterpart in New Delhi were frosty on a recent visit.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Trudeau on the sidelines of the G20 leaders’ summit last weekend, and Modi’s office said he focused on Sikh separatists in Canada.
Ng was set to visit Mumbai with Canadian business leaders to form ties with their counterparts in the world’s most populous country.
Ng is set to speak publicly this afternoon to conclude a meeting with her provincial and territorial counterparts.
Earlier this week, the Saskatchewan government claimed Ottawa left provinces in the dark for months over the status of trade talks with India.
India’s envoy to Canada revealed two weeks ago that Ottawa had paused trade talks, and neither country has provided a detailed explanation.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2023.
