Call for submissions into RCEP General Review
RCEP Parties have agreed to undertake a General Review of the Agreement in accordance with Article 20.8 (General Review), to ensure it remains fit for purpose, responsive to emerging challenges, and reflective of evolving business needs.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is inviting submissions from stakeholders to inform Australia's contribution to the RCEP General Review.
For convenience, stakeholders are welcome to draw on or refer to submissions provided in other recent reviews, including the Southeast Asia Free Trade Agreements (FTA) Modernisation Review, General Review of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) and the General Review of the Indonesia–Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA), where relevant.
Who we want to hear from
We welcome submissions from all interested stakeholders, including:
- businesses
- peak bodies and member organisations
- state and territory governments
- non-government organisations
- research institutions and academia
- unions and civil society organisations
- the Australian public.
Scope of submissions
DFAT is seeking views on the implementation, operation and impact of RCEP since its entry into force, and potential areas for improvement or expansion.
In your submission, you may wish to address:
- the benefits of RCEP and any gaps or challenges identified in its implementation
- barriers to trade or investment that could be addressed through enhancements to the Agreement
- opportunities to deepen liberalisation
- opportunities in specific industries, sectors, goods, services or investment across RCEP markets (e.g. digital trade, green economy, critical minerals, agriculture, services trade)
- practical experiences using RCEP, including utilisation of tariff preferences or rules of origin
Submissions may include information on changes to your exporting, importing or investment position, as well as case studies illustrating real-world experience.
Submissions and confidentiality
All submissions are treated as public and published on this website unless the author specifically requests that the submission, or part thereof, be treated as confidential.
Unless otherwise requested, DFAT will publish submissions and the name of the submitting organisation or individual. DFAT does not edit submissions prior to publication. All details included in a submission, including contact information, may be made publicly available.
If you request that all or part of a submission be treated as confidential:
- the confidential material must be clearly marked with a "Confidential" watermark on every page
- confidential material must be provided in a separate attachment to non-confidential material.
By making a submission, the author(s) agree to their submission, or part thereof, being used by the Commonwealth of Australia for official purposes.
Closing date for submissions
Submissions are due by 16 October 2026.
Lodging submissions
Submissions should be emailed to: RCEP@dfat.gov.au
Please include "RCEP Submission [Name of Organisation]' in the subject line.
Submissions received (which are not confidential) will be uploaded here.
Earlier submissions received during RCEP negotiations
Submissions received by DFAT during the negotiation phase of the FTA are listed below.
- Accord [PDF 2.3 MB]
- ANZ Bank [PDF 253 KB]
- Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry - Documentary options for tariff reduction available to Australian Exporters per FTA [PDF 137 KB]
- Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry - Harmonising Administrative Procedures in PTA to Support Trade Facilitation [PDF 494 KB]
- Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry - Industry views on documentation in FTAs [PDF 755 KB]
- Australian Council of Trade Unions [PDF 551 KB]
- Australian Dairy Industry Council
- Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network Ltd (2015)
- Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network Ltd [PDF 282 KB] (2013)
- Australian Red Meat & Livestock Industry
- Australian Services Roundtable [PDF 136 KB]
- Australian Dairy Industry (represented by the Australian Dairy Industry Council Inc. and Dairy Australia) [PDF 911 KB]
- Hatch
- International Trademark Association (INTA) [PDF 370 KB]
- O'Donnell, Carol (2012)
- O'Donnell, Carol (2013)
- Public Health Association of Australia [PDF 330 KB]
- PwC
- Sarihusada Generasi Mahardika
- Wine Australia
- World Society for the Protection of Animals [PDF 1.73 MB]
- Yum! Restaurants International [PDF 85 KB]
Copyright and content
Copyright in submissions resides with the author(s), not with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The views expressed in these submissions are the views of the author(s) and should not be understood as reflecting the views of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Format
Submissions were provided to the department in a range of formats. All submissions have been published in a common portable document format [PDF].