led a new meeting of the Working Group on Costa Rica's Accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) —the world's most important and dynamic trade agreement— of which Peru is a member.
The Peruvian government agency noted that the virtual meeting allowed the bloc's 12 economies to discuss progress in the accession process.
"For our country, securing Costa Rica's accession is very important, because as a new trading partner joining the CPTPP it opens up fresh opportunities for Peruvian exporters of goods and services seeking to enter that market, while also increasing the possibilities to develop intrabloc production linkages," Foreign Trade and Tourism Minister Teresa Mera indicated.
Peru's contribution
During the meeting, Peru's role as chair of the Working Group on Costa Rica’s Accession to the CPTPP was highlighted.
The event —organized by the Peruvian government through Mincetur— underscores the country's leadership on the global stage—not only as a member of the world's most ambitious trade agreement, but also as a driver of its expansion.
Mincetur underscored that the working group was established in November 2024.
It added that a series of meetings were held throughout 2025 with a view to securing Costa Rica’s incorporation as the 13th economy to join the CPTPP.
"We are aware that Costa Rica and the CPTPP countries have made a major effort over the past few months in this process; therefore, we are confident that its conclusion is not far," Deputy Foreign Trade Minister Cesar Llona stated.
The meeting was attended by Costa Rica's Foreign Trade Minister Manuel Tovar, who expressed his country's interest in and commitment to continuing to move forward in this process.
Ministers and senior officials from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Japan, and Chile participated in this event, discussing the bloc's future engagement prospects.
To date, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) comprises 12 economies: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, United Kingdom, Singapore, and Vietnam. Together, they account for 15% of global GDP.
Between January and November 2025, Peruvian exports to the CPTPP bloc grew by 27.5% to exceed US$12.2 billion, according to Mincetur's latest Monthly Foreign Trade Report.
