The CPTPP is the successor to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which was the original free trade agreement (FTA) between the United States and the 11 members of the CPTPP. The TPP was an ambitious FTA that had been negotiated for almost a decade under US leadership during the time of the Obama administration.

Not only was the agreement broad, covering two-fifths of the world economy, it was also comprised of 30 chapters that covered areas from tariff reductions to labour standards and intellectual property rights. The concluded TPP Agreement was signed in New Zealand in February 2016 by all 12 countries.