Negotiations for a deal covering specific industries began in 2010, were put on hiatus for five years and finally resumed in 2022, but Canada paused the process once again at the beginning of this month. The news was met with surprise and concern from the business community, with Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe’s government at the time saying provinces were being kept in the dark.
Thomas said there’s a lot of untapped trade potential between the two countries, but now much of the progress appears squandered. He said his company was scheduled to meet with the Indian government this week about participating in projects over the coming year.