Manila, Philippines The United Kingdom welcomes a
significant milestone for the Philippines, as Parties
to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for
Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) agreed to begin
preparatory discussions on accession with
the Philippines.
The announcement was made at the 10th CPTPP Commission
Meeting held virtually on 26 June 2026, where Ministers
confirmed that preparatory discussions will begin with the
Philippines, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates
(UAE).
CPTPP is one of the world's most significant free trade
agreements, which the UK joined in 2024. Its
membership currently includes 12 economies spanning
four continents across Asia-Pacific and beyond, including
Japan, Canada, Australia, and the UK. CPTPP
currently covers roughly 15% of global GDP.
The UK has been a consistent supporter of the Philippines'
application to join CPTPP. UK Deputy Trade Commissioner for
Asia Pacific (Southeast Asia), Rhiannon
Harries said the announcement builds on the
CPTPP Joint Ministerial Statement from November 2025,
which outlined CPTPP interest in the
Philippines, Indonesia, and the UAE.
We've strongly supported the Philippines' application. If
the Philippines completes the process and joins the agreement,
businesses in our countries
would benefit from lower tariffs, simpler trading
rules, and stronger supply chains,
She further added:
These preparatory discussions could help lay the groundwork
for the launch of a potential future accession process for the
Philippines, which could open new opportunities for business,
investment, and growth.
For the Philippines, joining CPTPP would
mean access to one of the world's most
comprehensive trade networks, potentially
lowering tariffs and streamlining trading regulations
across diverse markets. The UK sees CPTPP as
an important strategic forum for advancing and expanding the
reach of high standard, rules-based trade.
While preparatory discussions do not guarantee
accession or the launch of formal
negotiations, they are designed to advance engagement
and understanding between the Philippines and
CPTPP Parties on the
agreement's standards.
British Ambassador to the Philippines, Sarah Hulton OBE,
said:
We warmly welcome this important milestone. The
UK looks forward to working together with CPTPP
Parties and the Philippines through this
process.
The UK's enthusiasm for this milestone reflects the strength
of its partnership with the Philippines, which is especially
meaningful as the two countries celebrate 80 years of
diplomatic relations this year.
The UK and the Philippines have been building deeper economic
ties through the inaugural Joint Economic and Trade Committee
(JETCO) in 2025, which sets out closer
cooperation across infrastructure, renewable
energy, agriculture and technology. Philippine
exporters also benefit from the UK's Developing
Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), offering tariff-free
access on 92% of products.
The UK looks forward to continuing
to work alongside the Philippines to strengthen
trading relationship.
This announcement comes one year after the UK
published its Trade Strategy, which
included a focus on deepening and
widening CPTPP.
