Overview
- Trade ministers meeting in Melbourne agreed to initiate Uruguay’s accession process to the CPTPP, marking the latest step in the bloc’s expansion.
- Peru reported substantial progress on Costa Rica’s accession and proposed a ministerial meeting next month to define the remaining steps.
- The bloc will continue assessing the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines and Indonesia, with expectations to begin their accession processes in 2026.
- Ministers launched negotiations to update rules on e-commerce, services, trade facilitation and women’s economic empowerment to keep the agreement current.
- The 12-member pact represents about 15% of global GDP, and Peru noted its exports to CPTPP partners rose 22.4% to roughly US$10 billion from January to September 2025.