Sitharaman, Goyal and Agrawal to visit six countries as India steps up global trade outreach: What to expect?

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal are set to visit six major economies in the coming weeks as India steps up its global economic outreach.

The three would be in the US, Canada, Japan, Brazil, Argentina and Chile, according to a report in Hindustan Times.

Goyal is already in Japan leading a 200-member business delegation from India. Sitharaman is expected to visit Canada and the US, while Agrawal is scheduled to be in Argentina, Chile and Brazil. The visits come as India seeks to strengthen economic ties and advance separate bilateral trade deals with the US, Canada and Chile.

In Canada, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne will host Sitharaman on August 26 and 27, according to a statement issued by Canada’s Department of Finance,

With a population of 1.4 billion, its energy demand is increasing faster than anywhere else in the world, the statement said.

“Its economy is scaling in the very areas that define Canada's strengths: energy, agriculture, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing,” the ministry said.

This meeting is expected to provide an opportunity for both Ministers to strengthen economic and financial cooperation between Canada and India, discuss shared priorities for promoting sustainable economic growth and investment, and exchange views on global economic developments.

“The discussions will also focus on strengthening cooperation between Canada and India in support of prosperity, resilience, and long-term economic opportunity for both countries,” it said.

In 2024, total direct and indirect Canadian investment in India surpassed $110 billion.

From Canada, Sitharaman will head to the US to attend the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors (FMCBG) meeting in Asheville,North Carolina, on August 31-September 1. In September, Goyal is scheduled to visit the US and attend the G20 trade ministerial meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, starting on 30 September.

Sitharaman will meet key US officials and investors during her US visit, the Hindustan Times report said.

Goyal in Japan from today

Commerce Minister Goyal is visiting Japan from 24 August to 27, leading a business delegation of approximately 200 members.

The visit assumes significance as Japan set an investment target of 10 trillion yen (about ₹60,000 cr) in India last year over a decade.

The visit underscores the strong ambition underpinning the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership and comes at a time when both countries are seeking to significantly deepen trade and investment ties, the Indian embassy in Japan said.

This is India's largest-ever business delegation to the country, the Ministry said. The four-day visit will cover Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka, with representatives from key sectors including manufacturing, semiconductors, clean energy, steel, automobiles, financial services, healthcare and start-ups.

As per government data, Japan's bilateral trade with India totalled $27.47 billion during FY 2025-26. During this period, exports from Japan to India stood at $ 21.43 billion, and imports came at $6.04 billion.

Commerce Secretary in Latin America

Agrawal is first visiting Argentina on August 24 and 25. Then he will head to Chile on August 26 and Brazil on August 27 and 28, according to CNBC TV.

India and Chile already have had a preferential trade agreement (PTA) for 20 years, and they are now negotiating a wider trade deal as a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA).

Agrawal will chair joint trade committee meetings to expand trade, address regional trade disputes, and discuss the expansion of the MERCOSUR preferential trade agreement.

The Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR, for its Spanish initials) is a regional bloc of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia.

(With agency inputs)