Milwaukee [US], October 2 (ANI): Canada sees an opportunity to support India's supply chain diversification through critical minerals, particularly for the country's growing auto, electric vehicle and battery sectors, Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu said.

Speaking at the 2026 G20 Trade Ministers Meeting in Milwaukee on the India-Canada trade deal, Sidhu said critical minerals were among the areas where the two countries could build greater economic cooperation.

"India is looking to diversify some of its supply chains. If you look at critical minerals, India has a growing auto sector, and for EVs and batteries, Canada is the only country in the Western Hemisphere that has every single element to make an electro-paddock. And so there is something that we can add," Sidhu said.

He said the two countries had several projects they could work on together, including in energy, critical minerals and aerospace, while pointing to fresh investment commitments in Canada.

"We just held our investment summit in Toronto. We had a lot of amazing investors come to Canada... We came out with about $500 million in commitments. So we have a lot of projects that we can work on together, energy, critical minerals, aerospace, and others," he said.

The comments come as India and Canada work to fast-track negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The fifth round of negotiations is scheduled to begin in Ottawa on Monday, following the fourth round held in Mumbai last week.

The two countries have set a target of scaling bilateral trade from USD 30 billion to USD 70 billion over the next five years. Sidhu said the trade negotiations were aimed at building complementary economic ties, with supply chain diversification forming an important part of the discussions.

The Canadian minister had earlier highlighted the scope for greater investment ties, including Indian participation in Canadian mining and energy projects, as the two countries look to expand economic cooperation.

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has also said the two sides have agreed to fast-track the negotiations, with the next 90 days expected to be an important period for the relationship.

The latest push comes as both countries seek to conclude the broader trade agreement by the end of 2026.

Bilateral trade between India and Canada stood at around USD 8 billion in FY 2025-26, with India exporting goods worth USD 4.67 billion and importing USD 3.28 billion, according to the Commerce Ministry. (ANI)