ABSTRACT
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) has grown out of five existing free trade agreements (FTA) with Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Japan first proposed creating a wider Asia-Pacific free trade zone in the form of Comprehensive Economic Partnership in East Asia in 2006. Compounding the negotiating difficulties in reaching an agreement in RCEP has been the ongoing process in a parallel FTA, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The problem of cutting a limited number of tariff lines is compounded by the high levels of concentrated trade within RCEP economies. While much of the focus of the negotiations has been on the market access for goods, services and investment discussions have been moving along more quickly. Among the most important debates in the regional economy is that which revolves around e-commerce and digital trade. The concurrently developing TPP negotiating process was lauded for an innovative program of stakeholder involvement.
