The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is considered by many to be the gold standard. It links Canada with large mature economies like Japan, Australia and the United Kingdom, alongside high-growth markets like Vietnam and Malaysia. It overlaps many existing Canadian bi-lateral free trade agreements. CPTPP was built with small businesses in mind, which gives Canadian-made goods a competitive edge abroad.
From the Jet Worldwide desk
The step exporters underestimate is proving origin, not finding the tariff line. Getting the product-specific rule and the invoice statement right can bring 0% percent tariff.
AI logistics assistant (copy and paste)
Use Gemini or ChatGPT to sanity-check eligibility, then bring the result to our team:
"I am shipping [product] from Canada to [CPTPP country, for example Japan]. Using Jet Worldwide's CPTPP guide, identify the likely 6-digit HS code, find the product-specific rule of origin in CPTPP Annex 3-D, tell me which regional value content methods that rule allows, and draft a certification of origin with all nine minimum data elements for my commercial invoice."
AI output is a starting point. Confirm the HS code and the rule with a licensed customs broker before you certify.
Who is in the CPTPP in 2026
Twelve countries are members: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and the United Kingdom. The agreement grew out of the original 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership. When the United States withdrew in 2017, the remaining 11 signed the CPTPP in Santiago in March 2018, and it entered into force on 30 December 2018 for the first six to ratify, Canada among them.
- March 201811 countries sign the CPTPP in Santiago, Chile.
- 30 December 2018In force for the first six ratifiers, including Canada, Japan, Australia, Mexico, New Zealand and Singapore.
- 16 July 2023United Kingdom accession protocol signed.
- 15 December 2024The United Kingdom becomes the 12th member.
- 1 September 2026Canada's ratification takes effect, so the CPTPP now applies between Canada and the UK. See choosing between the Canada-UK TCA and the CPTPP.
- May 2026 (next step pending)Costa Rica's accession negotiations are substantially concluded. It becomes the 13th member only after its legal instrument of accession is signed and ratified.
How new members join
Countries that have asked to join include China, Taiwan, Ecuador, Ukraine, Argentina, Indonesia, the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates. As of the June 2026 ministerial meeting, Costa Rica is closest to membership, Uruguay has an active Accession Working Group, and ministers agreed to start preparatory talks with the UAE, the Philippines and Indonesia. Those talks do not guarantee a working group.
The Auckland Principles
Every applicant is assessed against three tests:
- It is ready to meet the agreement's high standards.
- It has a record of complying with its existing trade commitments.
- It can be accepted by all current members, because decisions are made by consensus.
The accession path, step by step
- The applicant sends an accession request to the depositary, New Zealand.
- The CPTPP Commission decides by consensus whether to begin.
- An Accession Working Group is set up to negotiate.
- The applicant tables a compliance plan and, within 30 days of the group's first meeting, its market access offers.
- Negotiations conclude with a working group report.
- The Commission invites the applicant, which generally has six months to accept.
- Ratification follows, and accession takes effect 60 days after the applicant notifies the depositary, unless the Commission decides otherwise.
CPTPP rules of origin
To qualify for duty-free status, your goods must undergo sufficient production within the CPTPP zone. Qualification is governed by product-specific rules of origin in CPTPP Annex 3-D, which a good meets through a change in tariff classification, a regional value content (RVC) threshold, or a combination. Materials from any CPTPP country count toward origin, so a Canadian product built with Japanese or Mexican inputs can still qualify.
The CPTPP offers four RVC methods. Where a rule allows more than one, pick the method that gives your product the best result.
| Method | What it measures | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Build-down | Value of the good minus all non-originating materials | Products where imported inputs are a small share of value |
| Build-up | Value of originating materials only | Products made mostly from CPTPP-origin inputs |
| Focused value | Value of the good minus only the specific non-originating materials named in the rule | Products where only a few listed inputs are imported |
| Net cost | Net cost of the good, excluding items such as royalties and promotion | Automotive goods only |
| Rule category | Typical requirement (illustrative) |
|---|---|
| General goods | A tariff shift, an RVC threshold (40 percent is a common example), or a choice between them. The percentage and method are set rule by rule. |
| Textiles and apparel | A "yarn forward" rule: yarns and fabrics must generally be produced within the CPTPP zone. |
| Automotive | Passenger vehicles commonly 45 percent under the net-cost method, with parts mostly between 35 and 45 percent. |
| De minimis tolerance | Non-originating materials worth less than 10 percent of the good's value do not disqualify it, except materials listed in Annex 3-C. |
A worked RVC example
A Laval manufacturer sells a pump control panel to Japan for CAD 10,000. Its inputs include CAD 4,200 of non-originating components, of which CAD 1,500 are circuit boards from Taiwan named in the product rule and CAD 2,700 are other Taiwanese parts. Assume the rule allows a 45 percent build-down or a 55 percent focused value test (illustrative thresholds only; check Annex 3-D for your HS code).
The lesson: choosing the method is not a formality. The same product can fail one test and pass another, and the rule tells you which ones you are allowed to use.
The certification of origin
The CPTPP has no prescribed form and no government stamp. The exporter, producer or importer can write a certification of origin on the commercial invoice or any other document, on paper or electronically. Read more in our certificate of origin guide. Sample wording you can adapt:
The nine minimum data elements:
- Whether the certifier is the exporter, producer or importer.
- Certifier's name, address, telephone and email.
- Exporter's details, if different from the certifier.
- Producer's details, if different from the certifier or exporter (or "available upon request").
- Importer's details, if known.
- Description and 6-digit HS classification of the good.
- The origin criterion the good meets.
- A blanket period of up to 12 months, if the certification covers multiple identical shipments.
- Authorized signature and date, with the certification statement above.
Low-value shipments and record keeping
Keep everything that supports the claim, including bills of materials, supplier origin statements and cost records, for six years. If a destination customs authority opens a verification, those records are your only defence.
Three ways a CPTPP claim fails
Air versus ocean
Choosing the right mode is central to your landed-cost strategy. Consignments under about 100 kg are often more cost-effective by air cargo than by ocean freight once ocean minimums and port charges are factored in.
Import taxes in CPTPP countries
Duty may be 0 percent under the CPTPP, but destination consumption taxes still apply and are collected at the border. Standard rates in member markets, October 2026:
| Country | Tax | Standard rate |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | GST | 10 percent |
| Brunei | None | 0 percent (no general sales tax) |
| Chile | VAT (IVA) | 19 percent |
| Japan | Consumption tax | 10 percent (8 percent on most food) |
| Malaysia | Sales tax | 10 percent standard, 5 percent on some goods |
| Mexico | VAT (IVA) | 16 percent |
| New Zealand | GST | 15 percent |
| Peru | IGV plus IPM | 18 percent combined |
| Singapore | GST | 9 percent |
| United Kingdom | VAT | 20 percent |
| Vietnam | VAT | 10 percent standard, temporarily 8 percent on many goods through 31 December 2026 |
Connect with our CPTPP logistics desk
Get a custom consultation for your trade route and your origin claim.
Get My Custom QuoteFrequently asked questions
What is the regional value content requirement under the CPTPP?
There is no single CPTPP threshold. Each product-specific rule in Annex 3-D sets its own percentage and method. The CPTPP allows four methods: focused value, build-down, build-up and, for automotive goods only, net cost. Many rules give a choice of method, and some goods qualify by a tariff-shift rule with no value test at all.
Do I need a government-issued certificate of origin for the CPTPP?
No. The CPTPP has no prescribed form. The exporter, producer or importer can complete a certification of origin on the invoice or any other document, in paper or electronic form, as long as it contains the required minimum data elements.
Which countries are in the CPTPP in 2026?
Twelve: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and the United Kingdom. The UK became a member on 15 December 2024, and the agreement has applied between Canada and the UK since 1 September 2026. Costa Rica's accession negotiations were substantially concluded in May 2026 but it is not yet a member.
Is there a low-value exemption from the certification of origin?
It depends on the importing country. For goods entering Canada, proof of origin is generally not required when the value for duty does not exceed CAD 3,300, although records must still be kept. For your exports, the destination CPTPP country sets its own rule.
Does the CPTPP remove import taxes such as GST or VAT?
No. The CPTPP can bring the customs duty to 0 percent on qualifying goods, but destination consumption taxes such as GST, VAT or Japan's consumption tax still apply and are collected at the border.
How long must I keep CPTPP origin records?
Global Affairs Canada advises keeping the records that support a CPTPP certification of origin for six years.
