UK Accession to the CPTPP: Benefits, Opportunities, and Navigation Guide
On 15 December 2024, the UK officially became a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), marking a significant achievement as the first non-founding and first European country to join. The UK is now the second-largest economy in the group, after Japan, raising the collective value of the CPTPP economies to £12 trillion, covering over a half a billion people.
Other members of the CPTPP include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. The agreement means that the UK can trade freely with Malaysia and Brunei for the first time.
CPTPP membership allows for strengthened integration and influence amongst the Asia-Pacific region, positioning the UK at the forefront of international trade and security, as outlined in the Government’s Integrated Review in 2021.
Driving Growth: Opportunities for UK Businesses
The CPTPP offers a wide range of benefits to UK businesses by enhancing market access, investment opportunities and facilitating digital trade.
The CPTPP provides preferential access to 11 dynamic, fast-growing economies in the Asia-Pacific region which contributed £113 billion to UK trade in 2022, reflecting a 10% growth between 2018 and 2022. These economies will continue to play an increasingly important role in the global economy and, as such, provide a myriad of opportunities for the expansion of the UK tech sector both now and in the future.
The agreement creates significant investment opportunities, as evidenced by the level of investment from CPTPP countries to the UK, which was estimated to be around £182bn in 2021. Due to the facilitation of non-discriminatory treatment for investors, equal access to CPTPP markets for UK businesses is guaranteed.
Over 99% of UK goods exported to CPTPP countries are set to be tariff-free eligible. Reduced costs and improved market access will enhance UK goods and services competitiveness, further incentivising UK investment in the Asia-Pacific region. The barriers CPTPP removes will encourage new opportunities in sectors such as manufacturing, technology, e-commerce and digital services.
Regarding digital trade, the CPTPP’s E-Commerce Chapter, details digital trade provisions involving, prohibiting data localization requirements, removing unjustified data-flow limitations and strengthened data-protection standards. The agreements modern regulations on data sharing improve the efficiency of cross-border data flows, which is crucial for modern supply chains and digital business models.
CPTPP Navigation Guidance
The UK Government have provided over 70 practical guidance documents including country-specific guides, available through the CPTPP great.gov.uk site, to help businesses navigate the agreement’s provisions. These cover topics including as rules of origin, business mobility, and tariff reductions. You will also find detailed sector-specific information and commercial opportunities available within these markets.
CPTPP tariff information is available through using the check how to export goods tool to provide details on exporting specific goods, customs and general information for ratified countries. For countries where we have the bilateral trade agreements and CPTPP, the tool will also show the different tariff rates. The UK Integrated Online Tariff Tool also lets you check import duties and allows you to check the status of available tariff rate quotas.
techUK International Policy and Trade Programme activities
techUK supports members with their international trade plans and aspirations. We help members to understand market opportunities, tackle market access barriers, and build partnerships in their target market. Visit the programme page here.
Trade Conference 2025: Future-Proofing UK Tech: Growth and Resilience in an Uncertain World
On 29 January, we will bring together tech experts, policy makers, academics and thought leaders at techUK’s flagship International Policy & Trade Conference.
Our members develop strong networks, build meaningful partnerships and grow their businesses as we all work together to create a thriving environment where industry, government and stakeholders come together to realise the positive outcomes tech can deliver.
Sabina Ciofu is Associate Director – International, running the International Policy and Trade Programme at techUK.
Based in Brussels, she leads our EU policy and engagement. She is also our lead on international trade policy, with a focus on digital trade chapter in FTAs, regulatory cooperation as well as broader engagement with the G7, G20, WTO and OECD.
As a transatlanticist at heart, Sabina is a GMF Marshall Memorial fellow and issue-lead on the EU-US Trade and Technology Council, within DigitalEurope.
Previously, she worked as Policy Advisor to a Member of the European Parliament for almost a decade, where she specialised in tech regulation, international trade and EU-US relations.
Sabina loves building communities and bringing people together. She is the founder of the Gentlewomen’s Club and co-organiser of the Young Professionals in Digital Policy. Previously, as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community, she led several youth civic engagement and gender equality projects.
She sits on the Advisory Board of the University College London European Institute, Café Transatlantique, a network of women in transatlantic technology policy and The Nine, Brussels’ first members-only club designed for women.
Sabina holds an MA in War Studies from King’s College London and a BA in Classics from the University of Cambridge.
Policy Manager for International Policy and Trade, techUK
Daniel Clarke
Policy Manager for International Policy and Trade, techUK
Dan joined techUK as a Policy Manager for International Policy and Trade in March 2023.
Before techUK, Dan worked for data and consulting company GlobalData as an analyst of tech and geopolitics. He has also worked in public affairs, political polling, and has written freelance for the New Statesman and Investment Monitor.
Dan has a degree in MSc International Public Policy from University College London, and a BA Geography degree from the University of Sussex.
Outside of work, Dan is a big fan of football, cooking, going to see live music, and reading about international affairs.
Tess joined techUK as an Policy and Public Affairs Team Assistant in November of 2024. In this role, she supports areas such as administration, member communications and media content.
Before joining the Team, she gained experience working as an Intern in both campaign support for MPs and Councilors during the Local and General Election and working for the Casimir Pulaski Foundation. As well as working for multiple charities on issues such as the climate crisis, educational inequality and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). Tess obtained her Bachelors of Arts in Politics and International Relations from University of Nottingham.
