RCEP should not be viewed in isolation. A major feature of the current international environment is unpredictability. There are significant headwinds for global trade and challenges for our exporters. We've seen increasing pressure on multilateralism, and especially on international trade. The system of trade rules has been under pressure on a number of fronts: protectionism, increasing tariffs and non-tariff measures, more overt geopolitical rivalries, and, after decades of sustained growth, the beginning of decline in global trade. 