Toronto, April 4, 2023
In a joint ministerial statement on Friday, March 31, 2023, Canada welcomed the United Kingdom (U.K.) to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The CPTPP agreement is between Canada and 10 other countries in the Asia-Pacific: Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam.
The CPTPP Accession Working Group (AWG) will work with the U.K. to prepare and verify the legal instrument of accession, aiming at finalising the process in a timely manner consistent with domestic procedures in each member country and the CPTPP Accession Process, to formalise conclusion of the accession process.
The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development issued the following statement:
“I would like to welcome the conclusion of negotiations on the United Kingdom joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
“The U.K. is the first accession applicant to reach this milestone, which marks an important chapter in the development of the CPTPP.
“As the first country to show support for the [U.K.]’s accession to CPTPP, we are pleased to see a longstanding friend and ally join one of the world’s most progressive trade agreements.
“The U.K. is Canada’s third largest trading partner. The U.K.’s accession to the CPTPP would build on our longstanding economic and people-to-people ties and shared values on open and rules-based trade. It would provide further trade and investment opportunities for both countries, especially in the Indo-Pacific region.”
“Canada is a leader for open, predictable, and inclusive rules-based trade and welcomes expansion of the CPTPP to economies dedicated to the same high standards.”
For more information, please call Brian Rowe, Director – Customs Compliance & Regulatory Affairs at (905) 882-4880, ext. 1213.
