The RCEP has benefits for New Zealand. It strengthens our connections with Asia-Pacific; it facilitates trade, reducing red tape for exporters; it opens the doors for our goods and services exporters; it improves transparency and certainty around investment in RCEP countries; and it modernises and deepens our trade relationships. The 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. They have formed an agreement, with the other nations being New Zealand, Australia, China, Japan, and South Korea. These are all very exciting, growing economies, and this agreement cements our place in the trading framework of the Asia-Pacific. New Zealand exported over $36 billion of goods and nearly $12 billion of services to RCEP countries in the year ending 2019. 