Wednesday, 19 May 2021, 10:46 am
With more countries considering joining the Comprehensive
and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP),
New Zealand urgently needs a real public debate on the
future of such trade and investment agreements.
In
February this year the UK formally
applied to join as part of its quest for post-Brexit
free trade agreements. Reportedly, Thailand,
South
Korea, the Philippines,
Taiwan
and even China
are to varying degrees considering
membership.
Coverage of these developments is often
overly simplistic, treating expansion as a notch in the belt
for those who see the CPTPP as shaping the 21st century’s
global trade rules.