The UK’s accession to Trans-Pacific trade deal (CPTPP) offers limited economic benefits while posing serious risks to climate action, environmental standards, and democratic oversight.
Overview
On 15th December 2024, the UK completed its accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a trading bloc of 11 Pacific region countries: Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Mexico, Vietnam, Peru, Chile, Brunei, and Singapore.
Despite the high-profile nature of the deal, membership offers only modest economic benefits while posing significant risks to climate action, environmental protection, and international development. The lack of transparency and parliamentary scrutiny further raises concerns about its long-term impact.
Concerns & risks
Lack of transparency and democratic oversight
The Government’s process for negotiating and ratifying the CPTPP was opaque and undemocratic:
- Delayed impact assessments: Key assessments were only published six months after the UK applied to join, limiting informed debate.
- Weak Parliamentary scrutiny: MPs were largely excluded from negotiations and were denied a final vote or debate on accession terms, leading the Business and Trade Committee to accuse the Government of “dodging scrutiny.”
- Limited public engagement: Civil society and public input were minimal, with negotiations shrouded in secrecy.
Risk of secret corporate courts
CPTPP contains the corporate courts, or ISDS provision which allow foreign investors to challenge domestic policies that may affect their profits. While the UK secured exemptions with Australia and New Zealand no such protections were secured with Canada. Canadian investors have been particularly litigious, having brought over 65 ISDS cases internationally. A coalition of academics and organisations, including Greenpeace UK and Friends of the Earth, urged the UK and Canada to disapply bilateral ISDS provisions, but the government has repeatedly declined.
Environmental and labour implications
The CPTPP lacks binding commitments on climate action, environmental regulation or labour rights protections. Since the agreement’s inception in 2018, no member state has successfully challenged another over labor violations.
Diverging standards and public health threats
- Pesticides: A total of 119 pesticides banned in the UK are permitted in at least one CPTPP member country, raising concerns about food safety.
- Deforestation risks: The elimination of palm oil tariffs with Malaysia has raised significant questions about potential deforestation impacts.
- Public services and development impacts: There are concerns about potential liberalisation effects on UK public services as well as negative effects on exporters in developing countries outside the bloc.
TJM’s position & recommendations
The UK’s accession to the CPTPP represents a significant missed opportunity to advance a sustainable and equitable trade agenda. Rather than rushing into agreements that compromise climate goals and human rights, the UK should:
- Use its membership to review the economic, environmental, and social impacts of the deal.
- Introduce robust mechanisms for public and parliamentary scrutiny for the negotiation of future FTAs.
Without these changes, CPTPP membership risks becoming a step backward for the UK’s global leadership on sustainability and social justice.