MarketsFarm — Canada and India have formerly relaunched trade negotiations that could lead to increased Canadian pulse exports to the country.
Canada’s Trade Minister Mary Ng met with her Indian counterpart Shri Piyush Goyal in New Delhi on Friday to discuss economic relationships between the two countries.
While highlighting existing trade relationships, the ministers also agreed to formally relaunch negotiations on an India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with an interim early progress trade agreement (EPTA) to be concluded earlier as a transitional step.
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The two countries also “agreed to undertake intensified work with respect to the recognition of Canada’s systems approach to pest risk management in pulses,” according to a joint statement.
India will consider allowing the import of unfumigated Canadian pulses without penalty until a more permanent solution is reached. Currently, Canadian pulses face a penalty when entering India, as the methyl bromide required as a fumigant by India is seen as a pollutant by Canada and is also said to be ineffective in cold temperatures.
“Canada’s pulse industry welcomes (Friday’s) announcement that the governments of Canada and India have formally re-launched the India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations and will prioritize concluding an early progress trade agreement,” Pulse Canada chair Corey Loessin said Friday in a separate statement.
“We are encouraged to see the priorities of the Canadian pulse industry featured prominently in trade talks, specifically the focus on advancing Canada’s system-based approach and the inclusion of additional sanitary and phytosanitary measures in an early progress agreement,” he added.
“Pulse Canada supports a continued focus on achieving predictable and transparent policies governing the trade in pulses between Canada, the world’s largest pulse-exporting country, and India, the world’s largest pulse-consuming country.”
India’s demand for Canadian pulses can ebb and flow depending on the country’s own production and import tariffs.
— Phil Franz-Warkentin reports for MarketsFarm from Winnipeg.
