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The Philippines has formally applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, which currently has 12 member nations across several continents
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The country’s application was submitted in August, according to a report by Nikkei Asia citing sources from the Japanese government
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Philippine Trade Undersecretary Allan Gepty told local media in May that the country is eyeing to submit the CPTPP application within this year, noting that the government has been actively holding talks with CPTPP members in line with its intent to join the bloc
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The business sector, represented by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, issued a statement in September endorsing the country’s CPTPP accession
The Philippines has formally applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which currently has 12 member nations across several continents.
The country’s application was submitted in August, according to a report by Nikkei Asia citing sources from the Japanese government.
Nikkei also said the United Arab Emirates has likewise applied to accede to the agreement. Both applications were submitted to New Zealand, a founding member of the trade bloc and currently serves as the secretariat.
“The CPTPP is a high-quality, comprehensive FTA (Free Trade Agreement) that aims to support sustainable and inclusive economic development and is open to others to join providing they meet the Agreement’s high standards,” according to New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs and Trade ministry.
Philippine Trade Undersecretary Allan Gepty, who heads the Department of Trade and Industry’s International Trade Group, told local media in May that the country is eyeing to submit the CPTPP application within this year, noting that the government has been actively holding talks with CPTPP members in line with its intent to join the bloc.
The business sector, represented by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), issued a statement in September endorsing the country’s CPTPP accession.
“This accession is not merely an opportunity but a strategic necessity,” said PCCI, whose membership includes small, medium, and large enterprises, local chambers, and industry associations.
“With key trading partners becoming more cautious towards imports to reinforce their own domestic industries, the Philippines must proactively diversify its export markets and reduce its vulnerability. The CPTPP provides a powerful avenue to achieve this, allowing the Philippines to integrate deeper with a bloc of dynamic economies committed to open markets,” the umbrella group said.
The CPTPP is a considered a “mega-regional agreement” originally signed by 11 countries – Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Viet Nam – in March 2018. The United Kingdom signed in 2023 and its membership took effect in December 2024.
The bloc covers 586 million people, representing 7.3% of the global population and accounts for 14.4% of the global gross domestic product, according to the CPTPP portal citing 2023 World Bank data.
Applicant nations go through a negotiation process and will need the unanimous consent of all member nations.
The agreement is intended to facilitate trade between its members by reducing both tariff and non-tariff trade barriers, provide market-access commitments for goods and services, promote investment and labor mobility, ease government procurement, and strengthen economic relations among the signatory states.
