UK marks one year of CPTPP as Indo-Pacific Minister Seema Malhotra MP visits Japan further deepening economic ties
- UK marks one year as a member of CPTPP, which has boosted trade opportunities for businesses and consumers in both countries
- Launch of a new UK-Japan Economic Security Partnership to strengthen supply chain resilience and cooperation in advanced industries
Indo-Pacific Minister Seema Malhotra will visit Japan from 14 to 17 December to celebrate the UK's first year as a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The trip will showcase how CPTPP is delivering real benefits for businesses and consumers in both countries. During the visit, she will launch a new UK-Japan Economic Security Partnership, designed to boost supply chain resilience and deepen collaboration in cutting-edge industries.
The Minister will attend a semiconductor reception connecting UK semiconductor innovation with Japanese buyers, investors and partners. She will also attend a British Council event for Japanese alumni of UK universities. She will hold bilateral meetings with Ministers the Osaka Governor, engage parliamentarians on the UK's Indo-Pacific strategy, as well as meeting trade and investment partners.
Minister Malhotra said:
As the Emperor said, the UK and Japan are friends like no other - our economies and societies have never been more connected. We are creating more opportunities for our people and businesses - meaning more choice, lower prices, while maintaining and protecting our supply chains against instability and shocks.
The UK is already seeing dividends from our membership of CPTPP, from the price of Japanese rice in British supermarkets through to UK small businesses like Nana Lily taking advantage of tariff free exports.
HMA Julia Longbottom said:
As we close another remarkable year for UK-Japan relations, this visit highlights the strength of our partnership. One year on from joining CPTPP, we are delivering real benefits for businesses and consumers through lower tariffs and wider market access.
The UK is committed to the Indo-Pacific and to working with Japan as a trusted partner. Through initiatives like the new Economic Security Partnership and collaboration on innovation and women's economic empowerment, we are driving growth and creating opportunities. Japanese investment in the UK is highly valued, and we remain a stable, attractive destination for long-term business success.
The visit comes at the end of a milestone year for UK-Japan relations. In March 2025, the UK and Japan held an Economic 2+2 dialogue between Foreign and Business Ministers, the UK pavilion at Osaka Expo, the Carrier Strike Group and the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. The UK is the first country with which Japan has held such a dialogue outside the US, highlighting the close partnership that the two countries share. November saw the first visit to the UK by Keidanren in 14 years, with Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper hosting Keidanren members to discuss how the UK government can support Japanese businesses to expand in the UK market.
The UK's total bilateral trade with Japan is now worth over £33 billion, up 4% in the last year. Japanese investment into the UK has also doubled over the last decade, with nearly 1,000 Japanese companies sustaining around 200,000 UK jobs. UK exports to Japan also grew between 2024 and 2025 by nearly 9% to £16 billion.
