On the afternoon of July 20, the Canada - Vietnam Forum on Economic Resilience and CPTPP-EU Linkages  took place in Ho Chi Minh City. The event was held on the sidelines of the third CPTPP Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM3) and formed part of a series of activities within Vietnam’s CPTPP chairmanship year 2026.

CPTPP affirms its role amid global trade volatility

At the forum, Ngo Chung Khanh, Deputy Director of the Multilateral Trade Policy Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) and Vietnam’s chief CPTPP negotiator, said the forum’s theme was chosen at a time when the international economic environment is facing considerable volatility.

According to the chief negotiator, the global business community is having to adapt to growing uncertainty caused by geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, economic security concerns, and rising trade protectionism. Against this backdrop, reliable partnerships and a rules-based trading system are becoming increasingly important.

Khanh said this is also why Canada has consistently attached importance to maintaining an open, rules-based international trading system. As an economy with a high degree of trade dependency, Canada’s prosperity is closely tied to open markets, transparent rules, and reliable partners. Canada has long championed a rules-based trading system to create more opportunities for businesses, strengthen economic resilience, and drive growth for countries of all sizes.

As CPTPP chair for 2026, Vietnam sees its responsibility as extending beyond organizing meetings and implementing existing commitments. More importantly, Vietnam aims to ensure the agreement continues to keep pace with business realities and changes in the international trade environment.

Accordingly, Vietnam will both maintain CPTPP’s high standards and credibility, and promote solutions to expand opportunities for the business community, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.

Ngo Chung Khanh also noted that Canada is one of CPTPP’s founding members and has consistently demonstrated strong commitment to the agreement’s success. CPTPP brings together economies on both sides of the Pacific that share a commitment to high-quality trade standards, transparency, and open markets.

At a time when many countries are questioning the benefits of globalization, CPTPP continues to demonstrate that open and inclusive trade remains a key driver of economic growth, while also helping to strengthen the resilience of member economies.

Five priorities identified for Vietnam’s 2026 CPTPP chairmanship year

Also at the forum, Nguyen Son Tra, Head of the WTO and Trade Negotiation Division under the Multilateral Trade Policy Department of the MoIT and deputy chief CPTPP negotiator of Vietnam, said the issues discussed at the forum were precisely the priorities that CPTPP members are focusing on this year. These include strengthening economic resilience, promoting digital trade, reinforcing supply chains, expanding cooperation with external partners, including the EU, and making more effective use of the benefits offered by CPTPP.

According to Nguyen Son Tra, the theme of Vietnam’s CPTPP chairmanship year 2026 is "Shared Vision, Shared Actions." The message behind the theme is that members already share many common goals and orientations; the task now is to translate those goals into practical actions and concrete results.

She addressed that amid rapid changes in the global trade environment, ongoing supply chain restructuring, the development of digital technology, and increasingly stringent requirements for sustainable development, CPTPP members have agreed to focus on five priorities.

First, maintaining the agreement’s modernity and relevance through a comprehensive review and updating of CPTPP provisions. Members are considering how the agreement can adapt to new trends such as digital trade, more resilient supply chains, and emerging trade-related issues.

Second, expanding CPTPP’s membership. According to Nguyen Son Tra, the growing interest from economies seeking to join reflects the agreement’s appeal and value. However, the expansion process must ensure that CPTPP’s high standards and operational effectiveness are maintained.

Third, strengthening cooperation with external partners. Nguyen Son Tra said that in 2025, CPTPP ministers agreed to promote deeper cooperation between CPTPP and the EU. This year, the task is to translate that commitment into concrete cooperation programs.

Clarifying this cooperation direction, Nguyen Son Tra said: "We are focusing on three main pillars, namely digital trade, supply chain resilience, and the global trade environment. In these areas, Vietnam and Canada have many favorable conditions to contribute jointly. The issues discussed at this afternoon’s forum are entirely consistent with the priorities of the CPTPP chairmanship year."

Fourth, strengthening CPTPP’s institutional foundation. According to Nguyen Son Tra, as the agreement continues to expand and its agenda grows increasingly diverse, developing effective institutional mechanisms is becoming more important than ever. Vietnam supports enhanced coordination among CPTPP bodies, and continues to advocate for the establishment of a future CPTPP support unit to ensure the agreement’s implementation remains effective and sustainable over the long term.

Fifth, improving the effectiveness of CPTPP’s implementation and utilization. The goal is not only to increase the tariff preference utilization rate but also to help businesses make better use of benefits in services, investment, digital trade, and regional supply chains. According to Nguyen Son Tra, this requires closer coordination between the public and private sectors.

Assessing the results achieved so far, Nguyen Son Tra said that in the first half of this year, CPTPP members have achieved many positive outcomes in membership expansion, agreement implementation, and enhanced cooperation. Members have also agreed to establish a special working group, laying the groundwork for more substantive results in the remainder of the year.

According to delegates, the July 20 forum marked an important next step in promoting cooperation between CPTPP members and external partners. It also provided an opportunity for governments, businesses, and experts to exchange practical ideas, contributing to CPTPP’s development in the period ahead.