British businesses now have full access to all 11 other members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership after the UK's accession to the trade pact entered into force with Canada today.
The milestone on 1 September 2026 completes Britain's accession process, with Canada the final existing CPTPP member to bring the UK's membership into force bilaterally.
The UK Government says the economies of the enlarged bloc, including Britain, were worth almost £13 trillion in combined GDP in 2025 and estimates membership could add around £2 billion a year to the UK economy in the long run.
Canada completes UK's CPTPP accession
Britain signed its CPTPP accession agreement in 2023 and the agreement first entered into force for the UK with a group of member countries in December 2024.
Further ratifications followed, including Mexico in June 2026. Canada completed its domestic ratification process in July, with the agreement entering into force between Canada and the UK on 1 September.
That means British businesses can now use CPTPP provisions with Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.
Government says bloc is worth almost £13 trillion
The Department for Business says the CPTPP economies, with the UK included, were worth almost £13 trillion in combined GDP in 2025.
The Government estimates that UK membership could deliver around £2 billion annually to the economy in the long run. That figure is a government projection rather than a measure of benefits already realised.
The agreement is intended to reduce barriers to trade in goods and services and provide businesses with preferential access across member markets, subject to the relevant rules and product requirements.
New opportunities for trade with Canada
The final Canadian ratification brings additional practical benefits for British companies trading with Canada under CPTPP.
The Government says UK businesses will gain improved access to Canadian public procurement opportunities, including in sectors such as air transport, accounting and financial services.
Eligible British business visitors will also be able to stay in Canada for up to six months under CPTPP arrangements, compared with a previous limit of 90 days in any six-month period under the UK-Canada Trade Continuity Agreement.
The existing UK-Canada Trade Continuity Agreement remains in force, meaning businesses may use the agreement that best suits a particular transaction where applicable.
Trade Minister hails new opportunities
Trade Minister Anas Sarwar said full access to CPTPP would create new opportunities for British businesses in some of the world's fastest-growing markets.
He said the Government wanted firms ranging from food and drink exporters to businesses seeking public contracts to make use of the agreement to expand internationally.
Chancellor John Healey said full access would open the door to new customers, contracts and investment and argued that increased exports could support growth and jobs across the UK.
A major post-Brexit trade agreement reaches final milestone
The agreement has particular political significance because Britain's accession was negotiated and signed after the UK left the European Union.
The UK formally signed the accession protocol in 2023. Membership began taking effect with participating CPTPP countries in 2024, and Canada's implementation today completes the process with all 11 other existing members.
The development therefore represents the final implementation milestone for one of Britain's largest post-Brexit multilateral trade agreements.
What is CPTPP?
The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership is a trade agreement spanning economies across the Asia-Pacific and the Americas.
Alongside the United Kingdom, its members are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.
The agreement covers areas including tariffs, services, investment, digital trade, rules of origin, business mobility and access to government procurement.
CPTPP is also designed to allow further countries to join. Negotiations on Costa Rica's accession concluded in May 2026, while other economies have expressed interest in membership.
Full access begins today
For British exporters, the immediate significance of 1 September is that CPTPP preferences can now be used with Canada as well as every other existing member.
The Government says this gives British companies complete access to the benefits of UK membership across the bloc for the first time.
The longer-term economic impact will depend on how extensively businesses make use of the agreement, but Canada's implementation brings the UK's accession process to completion.