The Government of Canada is committed to diversifying trade and investment with key markets around the world and to strengthening Canada’s ties with its Asia-Pacific partners. Global Affairs Canada is seeking input and views from Canadians on the possible accession of new members to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
The CPTPP Agreement is a multilateral free trade agreement between Canada and 10 other Asia-Pacific countries. The CPTPP came into force for Canada, Australia, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and Singapore on December 30, 2018, and for Vietnam on January 14, 2019. For the remaining signatories (Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, and Peru), the CPTPP will enter into force 60 days after they have completed their domestic ratification procedures.
With the CPTPP now in force, economies that are able to meet the Agreement’s high-standard rules and ambitious market access commitments can seek to accede to the Agreement, subject to terms and conditions to be negotiated with CPTPP parties.
The accession of new economies to the CPTPP is an opportunity to increase the Agreement’s benefits for Canadians, further diversifying and expanding Canada’s preferential access to vibrant markets throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
More information on the Government’s consultations on potential accessions to the CPTPP can be found at Global Affairs Canada: Consulting Canadians on possible accession negotiations for the CPTPP.
Interested parties are invited to submit their views and comments on the potential accession of new members to the CPTPP, including specific interests, priorities and potential sensitivities. The Government of Canada welcomes views regarding economies that have publicly announced their own consultations or studies on potential CPTPP accession, notably South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom. The Government also welcomes views on the potential accession of any other Asia-Pacific economy. The Government may opt to launch further public consultations on specific economies that formally apply to accede to the Agreement.
Please be advised that any information received as a result of this consultation will be considered as public information, unless explicitly requested otherwise. The deadline for submission is August 25, 2019.
Submission can be sent to:
Canada–Asia-Pacific Trade Consultations
Global Affairs Canada
Trade Policy and Negotiations, Asia Division (TCA)
Lester B. Pearson Building
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0G2
Email: AsiaPacificConsultations.ConsultationsAsiePacifique@international.gc.ca
The following are examples of areas where the Government would appreciate receiving views from Canadians: Identifying specific markets that you would be supportive of acceding to the CPTPP.
Trade and investment interests
- Goods of export or import interest;
- Rules of origin, for specific products or sectors;
- Origin procedures to administer the rules of origin;
- Non-tariff barriers;
- Border and customs issues;
- Investment barriers;
- Trade facilitation issues;
- Interests related to trade in services;
- Temporary entry of business people from Canada into the market of interest and from the market of interest into Canada;
- Electronic commerce;
- Priority government procurement markets;
- State-owned enterprises;
- Intellectual property (IP) Competition policy matters;
- Preferred approach to trade remedies;
- Any incidents of unfair business practices.
Also, other interests and values of Canadians on corporate social responsibility, transparency, trade and gender, good governance, rule of law, non-discrimination, environmental protection and conservation, culture, labor rights, human rights, development of small and medium-sized enterprises and any other topics of interest or potential concern to Canadians related to the accession of other markets to the CPTPP.
For complete details and information visit Canada Gazette Part 1, Vol 153, no.30.