CPTPPis a replacement pact after US President Donald Trump pulled his country out ofthe Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement in 2017.
Thailandonce intended to join TPP, but decided to reconsider after US withdrawal, Somchaiadded.
Inlate February, spokesperson of the Thai government Werachon Sukhondhapatipaksaid that the government will notrule out the idea of joining CPTPP, while it also pays attention toother multilateral frameworks such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Indo-Pacific initiated by theUS, India and Japan.
Previouslyin November 2017, the trade ministers of the 11 nations, namely Australia,Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singaporeand Vietnam agreed to maintain the TPP, which is now renamedas CPTPP.
Member nations to the CPTPP are scheduled tosign the deal in the next negotiation round held in Chile on March 8 so thatthe deal will come into effect in early 2019. -VNA