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Decorative

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)

The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) information sharing for SMEs

The CPTPP recognises the challenges facing Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in establishing export markets, and includes outcomes to help make this task easier in the CPTPP region. Outcomes include:

  • elimination of tariffs and reduction in non-tariff barriers in CPTPP export markets
  • common and transparent trade and investment rules between 11 Asia-Pacific countries, assisting in the reduction of administration costs
  • rules that encourage SME participation in government procurement opportunities in all CPTPP countries, including the requirement for suppliers to have access to an independent review body when procurement processes do not comply with the rules
  • commitments addressing a number of '21st century' trade and investment issues, including rules against corruption; reducing unfair competition by State-Owned Enterprises; and ensuring a liberalised environment for electronic commerce, and
  • longer term integration benefits facilitating better access to regional supply chains for goods and services (also known as Global Value Chains).

With an emphasis on promoting the continued growth and development of SMEs, the Australian Government will assist SMEs to take advantage of the CPTPP through an ongoing program of FTA seminars across Australia.

Where to go for help or more information

DFAT's FTA Portal is a comprehensive resource for exporters, and importers of goods and services looking to explore the benefits of Australia's current free trade agreements, and how to apply for preferential treatment under those FTAs.

The Guide to using CPTPP to export and import goods has detailed information about how you can make the most of CPTPP, including how to make sure your goods qualify for tariff cuts.

Certificates of Origin

Under CPTPP, an importer may make a claim for preferential tariff treatment based on a Certification of Origin completed by:

  • an importer
  • an exporter, or
  • a producer.

Unlike other FTAs, under CPTPP this certification does not need to follow a prescribed format, however it must be in writing (including electronic) and must contain a set of minimum data requirements. A template to meet these requirements is available:

Attachment C: Guide to using CPTPP certification of origin for template example [DOCX]

More information

Contact us

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Email: tpp@dfat.gov.au

Mail:

CPTPP FTA Coordinator

Regional Trade Agreements Division

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

RG Casey Building, John McEwen Crescent

Barton ACT 0221

Austrade – the Australian Trade and Investment Commission

For Australian business people

Austrade provides general information about exporting and doing business in international markets, free of charge to Australian companies. Austrade also offers a range of tailored trade services for areas where there is strong demand for our services and where we can add the most value.

Austrade: Let us help you grow your business… globally

For international business people

As the first national point-of-contact for all international investment enquiries, Austrade assists investors by providing the information needed to establish or expand a business in Australia. Austrade also helps international buyers source Australian goods and services, and outlines what is available for international students who would like to study at our excellent educational institutions.

Austrade: Doing business with Australia

Other resources

The Australian Border Force's Import, Export and Buying Online webpages explain how to get your goods into or outside of Australia.

The Foreign Investment Review Board examines proposals by foreign interests to undertake direct investment in Australia and makes recommendations to the Government on whether those proposals are suitable for approval under the Government's policy.

The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources is responsible for biosecurity and works to ensure continued market access for Australian products and to maintain our high standards for emergency response.

Discover the full range of Australian Government information for business and industry at the Australian Government's information portal, Australia.gov.au including:

The CPTPP text – key elements for SMEs

The CPTPP is a separate treaty that incorporates the provisions of the original Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as signed in 2016. Under the CPTPP Agreement, signatories implement the original TPP between them, with the exception of a limited number of provisions which have been suspended.

The CPTPP treaty text [PDF 185 KB] should be read in conjunction with the text of the original TPP.

Chapters, annexes and schedules

CPTPP Chapter Summaries are available on the DFAT website.

Tariff schedules

Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and Singapore will implement an initial round of tariff cuts on the date of entry into force, which is 30 December 2018. Subsequent tariff cuts occur on 1 January each year, except for Japan, which will cut its tariffs on 1 April each year. This means that Australian businesses will enjoy two tariff cuts for exports to those countries which have ratified the agreement by 1 January 2019 (except for exports to Japan, when the second tariff cut will occur on 1 April 2019, and Vietnam, see below).

Under the CPTPP's rules, regardless of the date of entry into force, all Parties will implement tariff cuts as if the agreement had entered into force on 30 December 2018, unless otherwise agreed. This means, for example, that Vietnam will automatically cut its tariffs twice when the CPTPP enters into force for it on 14 January 2019.

Party-specific tariff schedules are contained in Annex 2-D: Tariff Elimination in Chapter 2: National Treatment and Market Access for Goods.

Australia

Brunei Darussalam

Canada

Chile

Japan

Malaysia

Mexico

New Zealand

Peru

Singapore

Viet Nam

Associated Documents:

Product Specific Rules

Annex 3D to Chapter 3: Rules of Origin and Origin Procedures

Associated Documents:

Government Procurement Schedules

Government procurement schedules to Chapter 15: Government Procurement

    Government Procurement Policy Websites in Australia

    Investment and Services Schedules

    Chapter 9: Investment

    Chapter 10: Cross Border Trade in Services

    The CPTPP includes the following Annexes:

    Annex I

    This lists some existing restrictions on foreign service suppliers or investors. Each Party has undertaken to ensure that it does not make any measure listed in this Annex more restrictive. If a Party changes any of these measures to become more open to foreign service suppliers and investors, that new measure will be automatically captured by the CPTPP, which means it cannot be made more restrictive in the future. This is called the "ratchet mechanism".

    Annex II

    This lists areas where each Party has reserved the right to impose new restrictions on foreign service suppliers or investors.

    Associated Documents

    Financial Services Schedules

    Chapter 11: Financial Services

    Associated documents:

    Temporary Entry for Business Persons Schedules

    Chapter 12: Temporary Entry for Business Persons

      CPTPP member SME webpages

      As equivalent pages provided by other CPTPP member countries are released we will provide links to their webpages.

      Last Updated: 8 May 2019
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