Britain, New Zealand would consider altering trade partnership to entice US to join: top negotiators

Britain and New Zealand would consider altering the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership to entice the US to join, its chief trade negotiators said on Wednesday.

Asked whether New Zealand, the trade bloc’s current chair, would be open to changing labour and “rules of origin” commitments in the CPTPP if the US were interested in joining, its deputy trade and economic secretary Vangelis Vitalis said: “We’re in an ongoing process of updating and upgrading the existing agreement”.