During the first leg of her tour
in Toronto, Sitharaman will co-chair the inaugural Economic and Financial
Dialogue alongside Canadian Minister of
Finance Francois-Philippe Champagne. Talks will focus on macroeconomic
trends, financial sector ties, and mutual
investment in key sectors including energy, artificial intelligence, critical
minerals, and resilient supply chains, alongside progress toward a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
(CEPA). In 2025, trade between
India and Canada shot up to USD 8.66 billion, a jump from USD 8.4 billion last
year. India exported USD 4.22 billion to Canada and imported USD 4.45 billion,
about CAD 13.3 billion in total.
The Minister’s Canada itinerary also includes an investment roundtable,
discussions with Indian Public Sector Bank executives on opportunities in GIFT City-IFSC, a fireside session
hosted by the Canadian Club of Toronto and the Canada-India Business Council, and an interaction with the Indian
diaspora. India and Canada are
actively negotiating a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA),
targeting a formal bilateral trade deal by the end of 2026. Sitharaman will
then travel to the United States, spanning Chicago, Asheville, and New
York. In Chicago, the Minister will hold investor roundtables and visit the
Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago.
From August 31 to September 1, she will lead the Indian delegation at the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank
Governors (FMCBG) Meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, held under the
US G20 Presidency. The tour will conclude in New York with high-level investor
engagements and a ceremonial bell-ringing at NASDAQ.
US goods and services (exports plus imports) trade with India totalled an estimated USD 239.6
billion in 2025, up 12.1 per cent (USD 25.8 billion) from 2024.
US goods trade (exports plus imports) with India totalled an estimated
USD 149.1 billion in 2025. US goods exports to India in 2025 were USD 45.4
billion, up 9.1 per cent (USD 3.8 billion) from 2024.
US goods imports from India totalled USD 103.8 billion in 2025, up 18.9
per cent (USD 16.5 billion) from 2024. The US goods trade deficit with India
was USD 58.4 billion in 2025, a 27.8 per cent increase (USD 12.7 billion) over
2024.
The United States and India have completed almost all substantive aspects of their proposed trade agreement, with only legal and technical language being worked out, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said on Saturday. (22 Aug)