---

Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTTP) Update

My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade (Kemi Badenoch MP) has today made the following statement.

A third round of negotiations for the UK’s accession to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership took place from the 5 – 9th December in London. Over 150 officials from five continents took part in a series of discussions on the UK’s accession. Talks were productive, with the UK making good progress and concluding substantive discussions on several areas. The UK is also now agreed to have demonstrated its compliance with CPTPP rules across almost all chapters of the agreement.

Intensive discussions will continue on the remaining items and the UK Government looks forward to continuing to work closely with the eleven members to ensure accession takes place on terms that work for the UK.

The UK will ensure that the final agreement on CPTPP membership upholds the Government’s manifesto commitment that the NHS, its services, and the price it pays for medicines are not on the table. The NHS is not, and never will be for sale to the private sector, whether overseas or domestic.