The UK has joined a trade pact with several countries in Asia and the Pacific, including Japan and Australia. The name of this pact - CPTPP - is a mouthful, but it's a club of more than 500 million people the UK will have greater access to.

The UK has joined the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, according to a release on Sunday from the country’s Department for Business and Trade.

Britain announced last year it would join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in its biggest trade deal since Brexit. The accession means Britain will be able to apply CPTPP trade rules and lower tariffs with eight of the 11 existing members from Sunday - Brunei,

This is a proven way to support jobs, raise wages and drive investment across the country, which is key to this Government’s mission to deliver economic growth.“Our trade strategy, published next year,

Britain officially became the 12th member of a trans-Pacific trade pact which includes Japan, Australia and Canada on Sunday as it seeks to deepen ties in the region and build its global trade links after leaving the European Union.