Also will be good to see how these build upon existing WTO rules. 3/3

The govt refers to commitments to “endeavour to” not restrict exports, cf NZ-Singapore AOTES (not yet public) which NZ says has “binding provisions that would… prevent… export restrictions”www.mfat.govt.nz/en/trade/nz-trade-policy... 2/3

Australia and Singapore have signed a Protocol on Economic Resilience and Essential Supplies - www.trademinister.gov.au/minister/don... - it will be interesting to see the actual text. 1/3

IPEF is still a thing - "IPEF labor body lives, working on violation reporting tool, says Manila" | InsideTrade.com insidetrade.com/trade/ipef-l...

Singapore and Australia to establish an "Economic Resilience Dialogue" and conclude a protocol to their FTA on "Economic Resilience and Essential Supplies" (sounds like NZ-Singapore's AOTES www.mfat.govt.nz/en/trade/nz-...) - www.pm.gov.au/media/joint-...

Future of Investment and Trade Partnership (FIT-P) parties have issued a Joint Statement on Maintaining Open and Resilient Supply Chains, affirming their intent to keep supply chains open and refrain from new barriers in the context of the Hormuz closure www.mfat.govt.nz/en/media-and...

Aus Trade Minister at the National Press Club was asked about beef/lamb outcomes. His answer included reference to the broader value of Australia being seen to support rules-based "free and fair" trade: youtu.be/xag_sDj-GDU?...

Strange that the EU-CPTPP Joint Statement didn’t refer to this new digital trade negotiation policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/news/joint-m...

Members adopt a pathway to bring E‑Commerce Agreement into force via interim arrangements Sixty-six members, covering approximately 70% of global trade, have adopted a pathway to bring into force the WTO Agreement on Electronic Commerce through interim arrangements while continuing to work...

66 countries including Canada declare the joint statement initiative (JSI) on ecommerce an “interim” plurilateral agreement at WTO. Legally dubious, politically divisive. www.wto.org/english/news...

This is an intriguing announcement at the WTO Ministerial Conference in Yaoundé. It doesn’t explain how the “interim arrangements” on e-commerce would work. Do participants just amend their domestic laws and regulations (as @politico.com ⬇️? Is there admin support? How would disputes be settled?

1/2

Aus-EU FTA has now been concluded, no texts released yet, but some useful info already released from both sides: www.dfat.gov.au/trade/agreem...; policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-rel...;

Asean digital economy agreement nears completion NEGOTIATIONS for the creation of an Asean Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) are expected to wind up in the next few months and be signed by November, according to a Department of Trade and In...

Reports that ASEAN's Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) is getting closer to conclusion - "expected to wind up in the next few months and be signed by November" www.manilatimes.net/2026/03/11/b...

First senior officials’ meeting of CPTPP in 2026 opens in Hanoi Vietnam’s CPTPP chairmanship 2026 is implemented under the theme “Shared Visions – Shared Actions”, reflecting members’ commitment to working together towards long-term development goals and translati...

CPTPP's first SOM for 2026 opened this week in Hanoi. Vietnam's theme for the year is "Shared Visions – Shared Actions", and priorities include the CPTPP upgrade, accessions, and external dialogues vietnamnet.vn/en/first-sen...

Pretty crazy how important the blockade of a trade route is right now

Lots of interesting provisions in Indonesia's "Agreement on Reciprocal Trade" with the US ustr.gov/sites/defaul... But this one on not making digital services providers support news orgs is particularly interesting for Australia given upcoming reforms: piji.com.au/blog/news-ba...

Costa Rica to reach CPTPP deal in 'few weeks,' trade minister says Central American country eager to join world's largest free trade bloc

"Costa Rica to reach CPTPP deal in 'few weeks,' trade minister says" asia.nikkei.com/editor-s-pic...

Australia's Carbon Leakage Review has found that carbon leakage is adequately addressed in short/medium term but has recommended a border carbon adjustment mechanism be introduced for commodities most at risk (starting with cement and clinker) www.dcceew.gov.au/climate-chan...

5 things holding up the EU’s trade deal with Australia Can the EU and Australia get over their differences to seal a no-brainer deal?

More from @politico.eu : www.politico.eu/article/5-th...

Australia's Trade Minister is off to Europe to talk EU-Australia FTA negotiations - www.trademinister.gov.au/minister/don...

Great post from @simonlester.com comparing the drafting of national security trade policy alignment provisions in recent US deals: ielp.worldtradelaw.net/2026/02/comp...

Lots of interesting things in this analysis of China’s AI registry, including a “China-ASEAN Legal Model” - an AI tool for “legal coordination and mutual recognition between China and ASEAN”. Also explicitly linked to RCEP (see Google translate of dsjfzj.gxzf.gov.cn/dtyw/t211636...).

‘Not helpful’: Australia against tariffs on China minerals, says King Washington is mulling price guarantees and tariff carve-outs for allies that sign up to a market aimed at breaking China’s grip on critical minerals production.

Australia's Resources Minister says she does not "think it’s helpful to introduce tariffs" on China as part of the US's proposed Agreement on Trade and Critical Minerals, instead higher prices "should be based on high labour and environmental standards" www.afr.com/policy/forei...

I don't see where the DEPA lets parties opt-out of modules? And has any DEPA party done this? The more plausible explanation of the 'module' language is that these could be 'picked up' by other agts ... but so can FTA chapters (modules are just chapters - as NZ's NIA says!).

I keep seeing claims that the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement uses a 'modular architecture' that lets parties pick 'modules as their systems mature'. But this just doesn't seem to be right?

Canada's Standing Committee on International Trade has also been considering the bill to implement the UK's CPTPP Accession this week - www.ourcommons.ca/committees/e... - including industry and departmental evidence

Interesting - I'm not familiar with Mexican law, is there another step domestically after this one (dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle...)?

CPTPP: Overthinking the entry into force of the United Kingdom's Accession Protocol - rules of origin and decision-making While the UK's CPTPP Accession Protocol enters into force on 15 December, this may not apply for up to five CPTPP Parties who are yet to ratify the Protocol. This post considers two of the complicatio...

See also my previous post on the Accession Protocol's entry into force provision: tradenotes.substack.com/p/cptpp-over...

"Mexico approves the United Kingdom's accession protocol to the CPTPP" vtz.mx/legal-alerts... The Protocol will enter into force for Mexico 60 days after it notifies the Depositary of its ratification. This leaves just Canada as the only non-ratifying party.

ASEAN Digital Ministers recently adopted the Hanoi Digital Declaration - some interesting parts for those following digital trade including on AI as critical infrastructure, paperless trade, digital public infrastructure, and "strengthening collective safety efforts" on AI asean.org/wp-content/u...

Trade ministry details plan for Việt Nam’s CPTPP chairmanship in 2026 Việt Nam has mapped out tasks across ministries as it prepares to chair the CPTPP in 2026.

"Trade ministry details plan for Việt Nam’s CPTPP chairmanship in 2026" vietnamnews.vn/economy/1764... - looks to be mostly administrative information at this stage