British Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch signed on Sunday the accession protocol to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The United Kingdom has become the first European nation to join the trade deal, with Ukraine currently being the only other European state to have applied for membership.
Badenoch said joining the CPTPP will be a "big boost for British businesses and deliver billions of pounds in additional trade, as well as open up huge opportunities and unparalleled access to a market of over 500 million people." Member states will now have to ratify the deal and officials told Sky News they expect the UK's accession will be finalized in the second half of 2024.
