The global trade system is under enormous pressure. Growing protectionism, high tariff policies, and the law of the strongest threaten open markets and, consequently, the foundation of German foreign trade. The EU and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, CPTPP) can form a real counterbalance together: The 27 EU member states and the 12 CPTPP countries combined account for more global trade than the USA and China combined.
Summary of the Essentials
- Significant presence: The EU and CPTPP together account for 37 per cent of global trade – more than the USA and China combined.
- Key market for Germany: With German exports of EUR 161 billion (2025), the CPTPP region is Germany's most important export market after the USA; 6,331 German companies have invested in the region.
- Partnership yes, membership no: An EU full membership in the CPTPP would force the EU to adopt rules developed without European involvement – the EU must remain a "rule maker".
- Accelerate bilateral agreements: With many CPTPP countries, trade agreements already exist, or negotiations are underway; these must be swiftly concluded and ratified.
- Defend WTO order: A "standstill agreement" between the EU and CPTPP – with a joint commitment to WTO-compliant trade rules – would provide companies with much-needed planning certainty.
The German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) advocates leveraging this potential strategically through a close institutionalised partnership that keeps markets open, secures supply chains, and strengthens rules-based trade. For German companies, this involves tangible economic interests: The CPTPP region is already Germany’s most important export market, surpassing even the USA.
German Foreign Trade 2025 (in billion euros)
| German Exports | German Imports | Trade Volume | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPTPP States | 161.0 | 122.7 | 283.6 |
| USA | 147.1 | 94.4 | 241.4 |
| China | 81.3 | 171.1 | 252.4 |
| Worldwide | 1,563.8 | 1,362.2 | 2,925.9 |
Source: Federal Statistical Office, own calculation
Background
The CPTPP is a free trade agreement between twelve economies in the Pacific region: Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Canada, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. In November 2025, the EU and the CPTPP agreed in Melbourne on a Trade and Investment Dialogue for close cooperation – a first concrete step towards a structured partnership.
In March 2026, at the 14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Yaoundé, Cameroon, a joint declaration on the future of global trade followed. The challenge now is to fill these declarations of intent with content and institutionalise them. The federal government should actively engage to facilitate and secure international trade for German companies. The DIHK rejects a full accession to the CPTPP: This would mean that the EU would adopt regulatory frameworks on which it had no influence, turning it from a rule-maker into a rule-taker.
DIHK proposals for an EU-CPTPP partnership
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- Publication
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EU Cooperation with the Trans-Pacific Partnership
- Summary
- The global trade system is under pressure. To make international trade more reliable for German and European companies, a "coalition of the willing" is needed to promote market openness as well as the preservation and evolution of global trade rules. In a policy paper, the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) advocates such a coalition with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
- Information
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File format: PDF (accessible)
File size: 1004 KB
Status of: July 2026
Page count: 7 pages
- Relevant in topic:
- International Trade and Market Access
- Key areas:
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- Customs
- Reducing Bureaucracy
Released 23.07.2026
Contact
Klemens Kober
Director Trade Policy, EU Customs, Transatlantic Relations