Members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership formally approved the accession of Britain at a ministerial meeting Sunday, the first expansion of the 11-nation free trade pact that currently covers more than 10 percent of global economic output.
Britain's accession, which adds to signs that London is tilting toward the Indo-Pacific region following Brexit, is likely to help build momentum for the return of the United States after it withdrew from the pact in 2017 under then President Donald Trump.
China, Taiwan and Ukraine are among the economies that have applied to join the TPP, which took effect in 2018 with members including Australia, Japan, Mexico and Singapore.
