Japanese cabinet minister Toshimitsu Motegi (pictured) stated on Tuesday that his country will help the United Kingdom become a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a free trade deal consisting of 11 countries that remained after US President Donald Trump decided to withdraw from the initial agreement. "I’d like to welcome your country’s expression of interest in acceding to TPP11," Motegi told his British counterpart, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox. "Japan will not spare any effort to support the UK, including providing relevant information, and acting as an intermediary to you in relation to other TPP member countries."
Meanwhile, Fox responded to Motegi by saying that the UK has been "very impressed by Prime Minister Abe’s leadership of the TPP11." We think that it has enormous importance that goes beyond the economic importance to regional and global strategic importance, and we see both the UK’s potential accession to CPTPP, and the enhancement of the EU-Japan EPA into a new and stronger relationship, as being the basis of our economic co-operation," Fox said.
