The Philippines expects the completion of the e-commerce provisions of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) within the first half of the year.

The US and China are highly unlikely to join the line of economies keen to join the landmark Pacific Rim trade deal that recently entered into force, even though they stand to benefit from doing so, said a panel of trade experts and Asian diplomats on Thursday (Jan 10).

The RCEP recently held the 24th round of negotiations since the group first began the talks in early 2013.

Indian officials will hold bilateral meetings with a few countries, including China and some ASEAN members, in the coming days to iron out issues hindering negotiations of RCEP mega trade deal, an official said.

Six years in the making, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is slated to become an ASEAN-centric, comprehensive free trade area. Its 16 negotiating parties are racing to reach a “substantial conclusion” by the ASEAN summit of mid-November 2018. But even if this deadline is not met, RCEP is poised to make large contributions to Asian and global economic cooperation.

New Zealand Minister of State for Trade and Export Growth Damien O'Connor on Friday welcomed officials from 16 countries attending negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in Auckland.

China and Singapore will do their best to expedite talks on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Singapore's foreign minister said, calling the potential pact a statement on the importance of free trade.

Speeding up negotiations to finalize the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was the aim of the third Inter-sessional Ministerial Meeting of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) on May 22 in Hanoi.

India is not yet ready with its market opening offers for the members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) — especially China — as senior officials get ready to hold the next negotiating round in the Philippines.

Global trade needs a win to fend off rising tides of protectionism and anti-globalisation. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) offers the best ammunition to achieve this.