After European Union, Canada moves closer to India, ignores Trump's warnings

NEW DELHI: After the European Union, Canada is also moving to strengthen its ties with India. Following the finalisation of the EU–India trade agreement, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is preparing for a visit to India. The high-level visit is expected to take place in March. This comes at a time when European countries are entering into new trade agreements amid tariff threats from US President Donald Trump over issues related to Greenland.

Donald Trump’s tariff threats have led to major changes in global trade dynamics. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Carney may visit India in the first week of March. One of his key objectives is to stabilise India–Canada relations, which had weakened during the tenure of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Along with India, Canada has also begun efforts to improve ties with China.

Canada has been working to strengthen its relationship with China as well. Earlier reports suggested that Ottawa was considering a free trade agreement with Beijing. However, Trump had warned that the United States would impose a 100 per cent tariff on Canada if such a deal was pursued. While the Canadian Prime Minister later clarified that there were no plans to enter into a free trade agreement with China, tariffs on certain Chinese products have been reduced in select sectors.