Expand your business with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership

Discover the benefits and opportunities of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Canada’s free trade agreement (FTA) whether you export goods, deliver services, or establish a presence abroad. The CPTPP supports your expansion in the following 11 countries:

• Australia
• Brunei
• Chile
• Japan
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• New Zealand
• Peru
• Singapore
• Vietnam
• United Kingdom (once in force for Canada)

A fully implemented CPTPP would represent 14.4% of global GDP and give Canadian exporters preferential access to over 550 million potential consumers.

CPTPP provides comprehensive tariff elimination across all sectors. Once fully implemented, 98% of current Canadian exports to CPTPP markets will be duty-free. This means you can price your goods more attractively in CPTPP markets, therefore outpacing competitors from countries without a free trade agreement in place and who don’t have the same tariff benefits.

Bid on government procurement opportunities in CPTPP member countries. With the CPTPP, you will be able to compete equally with domestic suppliers in CPTPP countries for covered government procurement contracts.

In many sectors, you'll operate under the same rules as domestic service suppliers, offering Canadian service suppliers improved protection, predictability, and transparency. This includes:

• removing limits and discriminatory restrictions on the services you provide
• the form of legal entity or joint venture you can use
• the establishment of a representative office or residency requirement in a CPTPP country to do business

Temporary entry commitments make it easier for certain business people and professionals to do business within CPTPP countries. This supports opportunities to connect with investors, bid on government contracts, and send your personnel to work in partner countries.

For Canadian financial services institutions, the CPTPP provides greater legal certainty and locks-in current levels of market access in CPTPP markets. Key outcomes include:

• transparency
• protection against discriminatory regulatory treatment
• investment protections

Under the CPTPP, Canadian financial institutions can:

• manage funds on behalf of foreign clients
• process information in Canada or at regional hubs
• benefit from a level playing field with postal entities
• provide clients with greater certainty that electronic payment services can operate across borders

Note: Under the CPTPP, the ability for financial institutions to initiate certain investor-state dispute settlement claims has been suspended. These claims can still be addressed through state-to-state dispute settlement mechanisms.

Canadian investors seeking new opportunities in CPTPP markets benefit from the CPTPP’s transparent, rules-based framework designed to reduce risk and support a more predictable investment environment. 

In many sectors, you'll operate under the same rules as domestic investors, offering Canadian investors improved protection, predictability, and transparency. In addition:

• Canadian investments cannot be expropriated or nationalized except for a public purpose, in accordance with due process, and with compensation.
• Canadian investors can generally transfer capital and profits into and out of CPTPP markets, subject to limited exceptions, such as during a financial crisis.
• Canadian investors are protected from certain requirements that could restrict operations, such as some “buy local” requirements.
• Canadian investors receive a baseline level of treatment under customary international law.

If a Canadian investor believes that a CPTPP government has discriminated against them or their investments, the Agreement provides access to a dispute resolution mechanism that allows them to resolve the dispute without relying on the host government’s domestic court system. 

Explore essential tools to help you navigate the CPTPP and other FTAs.

• The CPTPP website offers comprehensive information on the Agreement, including chapter summaries, success stories and frequently asked questions.
• How the CPTPP can help your business grow in the Indo-Pacific explains the advantages of the Agreement to Canadian companies like yours.
• The CPTPP guides to temporary entry introduces you to common steps and resources on entering CPTPP markets temporarily for business purposes.
• The page on Claiming preferential tariff treatment under the CPTPP lists and defines the minimum data requirements needed in your certification of origin.
• The Global Bid Opportunity Finder provides global public sector bid opportunities in foreign markets.
• The Canada Tariff Finder provides information for your specific products in and countries where Canada has a free trade agreement.
• The Rules of Origin Facilitator enables you to find import duties in foreign markets, available duty savings, detailed rules of origin, and certification procedures, for your specific products.
• Search by country to explore business opportunities in CPTPP member countries.

Get a clear view of how the CPTPP can help your business grow and learn to make the most of the FTA by watching the videos below.

• Benefits of the CPTPP
• How CPTPP helps your products compete in Indo-Pacific markets
• Step 1 – Identify and classify your products
• Step 2 – Find out if your products benefit from tariff reductions
• Step 3 – Make sure your products meet the rules of origin
• Step 4 – Claim tariff reductions for your product

Do you have questions about technical barriers to trade and/or a regulation under one of Canada's free trade agreements? Write to Global Affairs Canada at consultations@international.gc.ca.