Trans-Pacific trade pact to weed out sub applicants as China waits

Singapore's Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong said the UK application process will serve as a "pathfinder" for the CPTPP to develop a "robust" process for other applications. It's understood some CPTPP members are pushing for a World Trade Organisation style application process that would require would-be members to supply a wide range of data up front that could be assessed before discussions began, and put some rigour and predictability around accession procedures. There are also some internal issues given the CPTPP lacks a secretariat and permanent resources to deal with accession, relying instead on a rotating Commission…