Trade ministry details plan for Việt Nam’s CPTPP chairmanship in 2026

Trade ministry details plan for Việt Nam’s CPTPP chairmanship in 2026

Việt Nam has mapped out tasks across ministries as it prepares to chair the CPTPP in 2026.

The ninth CPTPP Commission meeting held on November 20–21, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. — Photo courtesy of MoIT

Việt Nam has begun laying the groundwork for its 2026 chairmanship of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, with the Ministry of Industry and Trade issuing a detailed plan that assigns responsibilities across units and sets the tone for an active and closely co-ordinated year.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has issued a detailed plan assigning responsibilities across units as Việt Nam prepares to assume the chairmanship of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in 2026.

Under Decision No. 141/QĐ-BCT signed on January 21, Lê Triệu Dũng, head of the ministry’s Multilateral Trade Policy Department, will serve as Chair of CPTPP Senior Officials. Ngô Chung Khanh will act as head of the Senior Officials’ delegation and chief negotiator, while Nguyễn Sơn Trà will serve as deputy head of both roles.

The department is tasked with building the overall meeting schedule and agenda for the chairmanship year and co-ordinating ministerial meetings, Senior Officials’ Meetings, Deputy Senior Officials’ Meetings, accession negotiations with new economies and other technical sessions.

Beyond hosting meetings, the unit will co-ordinate discussions among CPTPP members, consolidate updates from ministries and agencies and handle issues where differing views arise among domestic agencies or between members.

It will also work with relevant bodies to design the CPTPP Vietnam 2026 logo and identity, develop communication plans, prepare logistical guidance for member delegations and co-ordinate with the Ministry of Public Security on security arrangements for the event series.

An internal inter-agency contact network will be set up to ensure smooth co-ordination, while focal points of CPTPP members for 2026 will be updated.

At the ninth CPTPP Commission meeting in Melbourne, Australia in November 2025, Việt Nam pledged to take on the chair with strong commitment, aiming to improve implementation of the agreement, advance potential upgrades, and strengthen connections between CPTPP and key partners.

CPTPP is the first new-generation free trade agreement that Việt Nam joined. The pact now has 12 members: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and Việt Nam.

By the end of October 2025, two-way goods trade between Việt Nam and other CPTPP members reached US$102.8 billion, up 20.6 per cent year on year. 

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