On 20 and 21 November, I attended the ninth meeting of the Commission of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in Melbourne, Australia, where a number of issues were considered by CPTPP Ministers.

Please see the Joint Ministerial Statement from CPTPP Parties here: CPTPP: joint ministerial statement in Melbourne, 21 November 2025 - GOV.UK, which outlines key outcomes including: Costa Rica Accession Working Group, CPTPP future accessions, the launch of CPTPP-EU and CPTPP-ASEAN Dialogues and the CPTPP General Review.

As the Trade Strategy, published earlier this year, outlines, CPTPP is designed as a ‘living’ agreement, meaning it is designed to adapt to developments in the wider global economy. It does that through regular reviews of its rules to ensure they are up-to-date (the CPTPP General Review) and through bringing in new economies via the accessions process. More generally, CPTPP provides a platform for a diverse group of major economies to come together and discuss how to deepen and extend the reach of high standards trade.

Costa Rica Accession Working Group

At the CPTPP Commission meeting in November 2024 CPTPP Ministers, including the UK, formally decided to begin an accession process with Costa Rica, establishing an Accession Working Group (AWG).

As part of this, the Government launched a public engagement period that ran from 29 November 2024 until 24 January 2025, to understand business, civil society and public views and insights regarding Costa Rica’s potential membership. This is supporting the Government’s approach to negotiations.

Ministers agreed that Costa Rica’s accession negotiations are near conclusion, and the Accession Working Group will continue discussions expeditiously and to report back this December, aiming to conclude the accession process in a timely manner.

Costa Rica’s accession can bring further wins for UK businesses and exporters through further liberalisation of international markets, while also strengthening geo-political ties with key partners.

Future Accessions

The more CPTPP expands, the greater the economic and strategic benefits to the UK. Expansion of CPTPP brings new economies into the orbit of high standards trade and enhances the opportunities available for British businesses.

To date, nine economies have applied to join CPTPP (following the UK): Costa Rica, China, Ecuador, Indonesia, Taiwan, Ukraine, Uruguay and most recently, the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates.

CPTPP Parties have identified four aspirants who are in line with the Auckland Principles, namely Uruguay, the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

Parties have decided to commence an accession process with Uruguay, and will commence with the others in 2026, if appropriate. This will not prevent the consideration and discussion of other accession requests.

To maintain the pace of CPTPP work, in addition to meeting this December, Parties intend to meet again in the first half of 2026, with a view to taking further decisions as appropriate.

The expansion of CPTPP remains a priority for the UK, as outlined in the Trade Strategy, and we look forward beginning the accession process with Uruguay, expanding the reach of high-standard, rules-based, trade.

EU and ASEAN Dialogues

Earlier this year, CPTPP Parties decided to work towards dialogues in 2025 with the European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). These dialogues directly deliver on the Trade Strategy commitment to further strengthen the crucial relationship between major trade blocs, as well as providing a strategic platform to support an open, rules-based international trade system.

On 20 November, the inaugural dialogues took place in Melbourne, with European Commissioner for Trade, Maroš Šefčovič, attending in-person alongside CPTPP Ministers for the EU-CPTPP Dialogue. Statements outlining outcomes have been published on gov.uk.

Discussions were positive, constructive and forward-looking. All participants reiterated commitments to the rules-based international system and the importance of ongoing cooperation.

The dialogues also provided an opportunity for participants to explore tangible areas for potential future joint working, including in UK priority areas of digital trade, supply chain resilience, and WTO reform. The UK strongly supports the continuation of these collaborations at political and technical levels, delivering on the ambitions discussed in these inaugural dialogues.

CPTPP General Review

The UK considers that CPTPP is already a well-functioning, high standards agreement. Nonetheless, we see this first CPTPP General Review as a good opportunity to keep the agreement up to date in certain key areas.

As a result, the UK and CPTPP Parties agreed a package of outcomes and next steps from this CPTPP General Review, designed to ensure that the Agreement delivers for business.

The Parties will now commence negotiations from early 2026, on upgrading and enhancing the Agreement in the key areas which have been identified, including on some of the UK’s Industrial Strategy priorities: Electronic Commerce and Trade in Services, Customs Administration and Trade Facilitation, Competitiveness and Business Facilitation, and Trade and Women's Economic Empowerment.

To further enhance the implementations and operations of the Agreement’s high standard provisions, we will finalise development of further initiatives identified in the General Review report including Investment, State-Owned Enterprises, Innovation, Gender Mainstreaming, Economic Coercion, and Market Distorting Practices.

The outcomes of the Commission Meeting pave the way for increased opportunities for UK businesses, supporting economic growth.

CPTPP is one of the largest free trade areas in the world, and a platform for the UK to collaborate with a diverse group of major economies to extend the reach of high-standards trade. The UK officially acceded to CPTPP almost a year ago, in December 2024, and I welcome the progress we have made with other CPTPP countries during the UK’s first year as a Party.

I look forward to keeping the House updated on future CPTPP developments.

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