Economic regional integration as geopolitics: the approach of the USA as regards the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership

This article examines the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and its successor, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), as instruments of U.S. hegemonic strategy, even in the absence of formal American membership. While the United States withdrew from the TPP in 2017 and has since declined to rejoin the CPTPP, the architecture, norms, and geopolitical logic of these agreements remain deeply rooted in U.S. crafted principles. Through a realist lens, this study argues that the CPTPP continues to reflect American strategic objectives by promoting high-standard multilateralism and serving as a counterweight to China’s regional ambitions. The article situates these dynamics within the broader context of U.S.–China rivalry in the Indo-Pacific, drawing on theories of hegemonic stability and power transition, while delving into examples of other efforts towards economic regional integration. It demonstrates that regional integration frameworks are not neutral mechanisms of cooperation but function as embedded tools of hegemonic ordering. Recent developments, including CPTPP’s expansion to include the United Kingdom, applications made by regional countries, and the European Union’s growing interest, underscore how the agreement continues to evolve within a geopolitical framework originally shaped by the United States. The paper concludes that Washington’s retreat from institutional multilateralism does not equate to diminished influence, but rather signals a shift toward strategic outsourcing of integration frameworks that continue to serve U.S. interests, even when the hegemon remains institutionally absent.