"Trade still doesn't amount to much," he said. "Since the time I was premier, prime ministers and premiers have been going over and yet trade just hasn't grown as much as it could."
Two-way trade between Canada and India amounts to only about $8 billion annually — a number Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hopes to improve with a state visit that begins this weekend. He has multiple meetings planned with Indian CEOs and business leaders over the coming days.
That $8 billion figure is rather anemic, considering that India is poised to surpass China to become the world's largest nation by population by roughly 2025.
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It's even more surprising when you remember that Canada is home to about 1.4 million citizens who can trace their roots to the subcontinent — many of them born in India — and that Indo-Canadians have enjoyed considerable economic and political success in Canada.
"The people-to-people links just haven't translated into strong economic links," said Dosanjh. "You've got grains and pulses, some pulp. But India's needs are mostly met by other markets."
Source : cbc
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