United Kingdom formally requests to join trans-Pacific free trade pact

The United Kingdom made a formal request Monday to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact, the first accession application by a member outside the 11 participating Pacific countries.International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said in a videoconference with her Japanese and New Zealand counterparts, "I want Britain's accession to the CPTPP to help build back better the global trading system."Truss was referring to the pact's formal name -- the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.Japan and other TPP members have welcomed the new development, seeing it…READ FULL ARTICLE