UAE + Canada cap off fastest CEPA talks on record

The UAE and Canada wrapped up talks on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in record time, according to a press release from the Canadian government. The talks were the fastest on record since the UAE launched its CEPA program back in 2021, state news agency Wam reports.

Up next: The agreement now heads toward ratification, after which it will cut tariffs, remove bureaucratic barriers, and widen market access for both sides. UAE Foreign Trade Minister Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi has already met with Canadian business leaders, flagging a shared economic focus on the agri-food, financial services, and advanced manufacturing sectors, Wam reports separately.

The agreement lands on an already fast-growing trade relationship. UAE-Canada non-oil bilateral trade reached USD 4.2 bn in 2025, up 21% y-o-y. Once implemented, the CEPA is expected to boost bilateral trade by unlocking investment flows into targeted sectors like agri-food, aerospace, ports, mining, data centers, LNG, and critical minerals, according to Wam.

ICYMI- The Emirates has already put real weight behind its investment relationship with Canada, inking a USD 50 bn investment framework last year targeting sectors like AI, logistics, and mining. However, none of those funds had actually been deployed as of earlier this month.

REMEMBER- The UAE has now signed 37 CEPAs — with 18 already in force — and plans to finalize another five to seven agreements by year-end. While Al Zeyoudi recently flagged slow progress on EU trade talks, the UAE is also pushing for a bilateral CEPA with the UK, separate from the wider GCC-UK agreement.