comprehensive and progressive agreement for trans-pacific partnership (CPTPP), Goods and Services

Note on the Meeting of 21 June 2021

Ambassador H.E. Dr. Cleopa Kilonzo MAILU (Kenya)

1.1.  The 100^th Session of the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements (hereinafter "CRTA" or the "Committee") was convened in Airgram WTO/AIR/RTA/25/Rev.1 dated 11 June 2021.

1.2.  Under Agenda Item D.I of the Session, the CRTA considered the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, goods and services (hereinafter "the Agreement or CPTPP"). The Chairman stated that the Factual Presentation had been prepared by the Secretariat on its own responsibility in full consultation with the Parties, in accordance with paragraph 7(b) of the Transparency Mechanism for Regional Trade Agreements (document WT/L/671).

1.3.  The Chairman indicated that the Agreement had entered into force on 30 December 2018 for Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and Singapore; and 14 January 2019 for Viet Nam. Ratification of the Agreement was still pending for the other four signatories – Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia, and Peru. The Committee thus only considered the CPTTP in relation to the seven Parties who had ratified it. The Agreement had been notified on 20 December 2018 under Article XXIV:7(a) of the GATT 1994 and GATS Article V:7(a) (documents WT/REG395/N/1 and S/C/N/920) as an agreement establishing a free trade area for trade in goods within the meaning of Article XXIV of the GATT 1994 and for trade in services within the meaning of Article V of the GATS, respectively. The text of the Agreement and its Annexes was available on Parties' official websites. The Factual Presentation on the goods and services aspects of the Agreement (document WT/REG395/1 dated 1 April 2021, and Addenda 1‑7) and questions and replies on this Agreement (document WT/REG395/2 dated 16 June 2021) had been distributed.

1.4.  The representative of New Zealand in its capacity as depository of the Agreement thanked the Members for the interest they had shown in the Agreement.

1.5.  Looking first at the Agreement's objectives, New Zealand stressed that the negotiating Parties had set ambitious goals. The story of the CPTPP had been one of a long-term vision for a cutting edge, 21^st century agreement to promote the expansion of open, rules-based trade and economic growth in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. This had been expressed in the Agreement's preamble, including the aspiration for the CPTPP to: contribute to maintaining open markets, increasing world trade, and creating new economic opportunities for people of all incomes and economic backgrounds; promote further regional economic integration and cooperation between them; enhance opportunities for the acceleration of regional trade liberalisation and investment; and reaffirm the importance of promoting corporate social responsibility, cultural identity and diversity, environmental protection and conservation, gender equality, indigenous rights, labour rights, inclusive trade, sustainable development and traditional knowledge, as well as the importance of preserving their right to regulate in the public interest.