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London (dpa) - Exactly one year after leaving the EU, Great Britain wants to apply for inclusion in the trade agreement of the Pacific countries.
The British government announced on Sunday night.
The members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which came into force in 2018, include Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Singapore and Vietnam.
The US had originally planned to join the group, but ex-President Donald Trump withdrew his country from the negotiations.
"We are entering into new partnerships that will bring enormous economic benefits to the people of Great Britain," Prime Minister Boris Johnson was quoted as saying in the statement.
The move shows that Britain is an "enthusiastic champion of free trade".
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For example, the CPTPP members have agreed duty-free trade on many goods and common standards.
The eleven member states have thus created a single market with around 500 million people, in which 13 percent of the global gross domestic product is generated.
Great Britain left the EU on January 31, 2020.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210131-99-240283 / 2
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