Tokyo, 13 May 2025: ERIA, in collaboration with the East Asian Bureau of Economic Research (EABER) at the Australian National University (ANU), convened a closed-door Stakeholder Roundtable on ‘The RCEP Opportunity in Global Trade Uncertainty’ in conjunction with the 9th RCEP Joint Committee (RJC9) meeting. The event was held at the International House of Japan in Tokyo.

The roundtable brought together key policymakers from RCEP member countries – including the committee co-chairs – alongside leading experts from think tanks, research institutions, and the private sector. Discussions centered on the evolving global and regional economic landscape, marked by heightened uncertainty and increasing trade tensions, and the implications for RCEP economies.

Participants engaged in substantive dialogue on priority areas for regional economic cooperation, with particular focus on enhancing supply chain resilience, reinforcing ASEAN centrality, and advancing the effective implementation of the RCEP agreement.

The insights shared during the session aim to support ongoing deliberations amongst RCEP members as they work to strengthen regional economic integration and identify future areas for collaboration.