Minister for Trade ()
Commencement of a period of public engagement
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is seeking views from
businesses, individuals, and other interested stakeholders on the
General Review of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for
Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
The UK signed its Accession Protocol to CPTPP on 16th July 2023,
kickstarting the UK’s membership of a modern and ambitious trade
deal spanning 12 economies across Asia, the Pacific, and Europe
when the UK accedes. With the UK as a member, it will account for
15% of global GDP (based on 2022 data).
This comprehensive agreement will support UK businesses by making
it easier for them to trade with CPTPP Parties. It will
facilitate innovation and provide consumers with more choice.
CPTPP could generate long-term benefits for both the UK and other
CPTPP economies; supporting UK jobs and providing opportunities
for growth across the UK, with all parts of the country expected
to benefit. The Government is now taking the steps needed to
ratify the agreement, which is expected to come into force in
2024, subject to parliamentary approval, and we are committed to
ensuring Parliament has extensive time to scrutinise all aspects
of the agreement.
CPTPP is designed to be a living agreement, evolving to maintain
its high standards. In reflection of that, the CPTPP text
mandates that the agreement should be reviewed at least every
five years – this is referred to as the “General Review”. It has
now been agreed amongst CPTPP members that the first General
Review of the agreement will begin in 2024, and CPTPP members
recently agreed the Terms of Reference for that review. While the
UK is not yet a ratified member of CPTPP, we expect the review
process to conclude after the UK is a ratified member and thus
are ensuring that the UK is fully involved in the review process
from the beginning, informed by stakeholder views.
To provide stakeholders with the opportunity to express their
views, the Government will be running a period of public
engagement on the General Review.
This will run for 6-weeks, with the aim of ensuring that
stakeholder views are received before the review process begins.
The engagement period will be open between Thursday 11 January
and Thursday 22 February.
Publication of report pursuant to Section 42 of the
Agriculture Act 2020 on the Protocol on the Accession of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific
Partnership
The Government has, today, laid before Parliament a report on the
Protocol on the Accession of the UK to CPTPP (the Accession
Protocol).
The report is required under Section 42 of the Agriculture Act
2020, prior to the Accession Protocol being laid before
Parliament for formal scrutiny under the Constitutional Reform
and Governance Act 2010 (CRaG).
The Government has always been clear that we will not compromise
on the UK’s high environmental protection, animal welfare, human
health and food safety standards in our trade negotiations. This
report, which draws on independent advice from the Trade and
Agriculture Commission, the Food Standards Agency and Food
Standards Scotland, confirms the Government’s view that the UK’s
accession to the CPTPP (via the Accession Protocol) is consistent
with the maintenance of UK statutory protections in these areas.
This report is intended to inform and support scrutiny of the
Accession Protocol prior to its ratification and entry into
force. The Accession Protocol was signed on 16 July 2023 and will
be formally laid before Parliament in due course for scrutiny
under the provisions of CRaG.
