BRUSSELS (Realist English). Frustrated by escalating trade tensions with Donald Trump, the European Union is turning its gaze eastward, pursuing closer ties with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) — a 12-nation Pacific trade bloc including Japan, Australia, Canada, and Mexico.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told leaders this week that an alliance with CPTPP would be a powerful statement in defense of rules-based trade, sending a clear signal to Washington that Europe and its traditional allies remain committed to open markets — even as Trump threatens to double tariffs on EU goods unless a new deal is reached by July 9.
“This is a project we should really engage on,” von der Leyen said after the summit, describing the potential EU-CPTPP partnership as “mighty” and hinting it could even reshape the global trade order or replace the troubled World Trade Organization.
Trade veterans Tim Groser, Steve Verheul, and John Clarke proposed the EU and CPTPP start with a Standstill Agreement to keep markets open among their 39 economies, which together represent nearly 30% of global trade.
“It would send a massive signal to Washington that nearly all of America’s closest partners remain committed to the rules-based system,” they wrote in commentary shared with Politico.
While von der Leyen left the door open to possible US participation, former EU negotiator Ignacio García Bercero warned that if Washington refuses to play by multilateral rules, “others are going to have to move ahead without the US.”
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking at the launch of Britain’s first post-Brexit trade strategy, said the UK — a new CPTPP member — backs closer EU ties with the Pacific bloc, calling it a “difficult environment” but one filled with “significant opportunities.”
A ministerial-level meeting between the EU and CPTPP is planned for July to lay groundwork for formal dialogue. Von der Leyen’s office issued a joint statement with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon supporting swift talks.
The CPTPP initiative comes as the World Trade Organization, founded 30 years ago, struggles with paralysis and US obstruction. “This must start outside Geneva,” Groser, Verheul, and Clarke argued, calling the EU-CPTPP dialogue a chance to develop new rules and secure long-term growth.
