India and Canada do not expect the diplomatic fallout over the murder of a Sikh separatist leader to affect bilateral trade ties immediately. Government officials from both countries confirmed this.
Canada primarily exports minerals, pulses, potash, industrial chemicals, and gemstones to India. It imports goods from India such as pharmaceuticals, marine products, electrical and electronic equipment, pearls, and precious stones.
Relations worsened after Canada linked India’s high commissioner and other diplomats to the murder of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Canada also accused New Delhi of a broader effort to target Indian dissidents on Canadian soil.
India denied the accusations, describing them as part of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s “political agenda”.
“We are not immediately concerned about trade ties. Our bilateral trade with Canada is not very large,” the source told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“We expect (Canadian) funds to make investment decisions based on returns and India offers attractive returns at the moment.”
Bilateral trade between India and Canada reached US$8.4 billion by the end of the last fiscal year. This marked a slight increase from the previous year, as reported by India’s trade ministry.
The dispute started last year when Trudeau first accused India of involvement in Nijjar’s murder.
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“I want to reassure our business community that our government remains fully committed to supporting the well-established commercial ties between Canada and India,” Canadian trade minister Mary Ng said in a statement late on Monday.
“We will work closely with all Canadian enterprises engaged with India to ensure these important economic connections remain strong.”
In August, Canada exported US$279 million worth of goods to India and imported around US$324 million worth, a jump of around 14% in both categories from August last year, latest data showed.
The source added on Tuesday that Canadian funds, which have cumulatively invested over US$54 billion in India, do not expect to change their stance as a result of the ongoing row.
More than 600 Canadian companies have a presence in India in sectors including IT, banking, and financial services, and more than 1,000 companies are actively pursuing business in the Indian market, according to the Indian foreign ministry.
Canadian police on Monday also accused India of using organised crime to target Canada’s South Asian community and said they suspected the Bishnoi group, led by Lawrence Bishnoi, currently held in an Indian prison.
Bishnoi’s lawyer said the matter would be probed by investigators, adding: “Whatever is there, it will be revealed”.
This news is sourced from Reuters and is intended for informational purposes only.
