Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Ministerial Statement – March 8, 2018

We, the Ministers and Senior Officials representing Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam, are pleased to announce that today we are signing the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (hereinafter referred to as “the Agreement”).

Ministers shared the view that, by achieving a high standard and well-balanced outcome, the Agreement will strengthen the mutually-beneficial linkages among our economies, boost trade, investment and economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region, and create new opportunities for businesses, consumers, families, farmers and workers. The Agreement demonstrates our collective commitment to an effective, rules-based and transparent trading system which is open to all economies willing to accept these principles.

The signing of the Agreement enables us to move to the next phase. Ministers expressed their determination to complete their domestic processes to bring the Agreement into force expeditiously.

Ministers welcome the interest shown by a number of other economies wishing to accede to the Agreement. This interest affirms our shared objective, through the Agreement, of creating a platform that promotes high standards for broader economic integration in the future.

Ministers agreed that their Senior Officials will start the necessary preparations for the smooth implementation of the Agreement.