The upcoming entry into force of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) should be helpful to the textile and apparel sectors. It will make it considerably easier to make fabrics and clothing in Asia and distribute them across the region with lower tariff rates or even duty-free treatment. Most important, the rules of origin will be consistent around the region. Given the highly integrated supply chains for these products that span multiple RCEP economies, having rules that better fit existing footprints will be especially helpful. To see how this works, think about a women’s swimsuit. It needs to be able to handle chlorinated and salt water, fit snuggly but not uncomfortably, and have sufficient flexibility in movement to allow swimming, surfing, diving and other water activities. A swimsuit requires high performance fabrics and sophisticated sewing abilities to make a final product that fits a range of body types and is attractive to buyers. As a result of these demands, the supply chain for swimsuits often includes the purchase of specialized fabrics from Japan or South Korea, nylon fabrics from Australia or Korea, and sewing skills from China or Vietnam. The global market for swimsuits (disrupted, as with so many things, by the pandemic in 2020) is still expected to reach US$27 billion by 2027, with growth of just over 5% annually. Existing MFN tariff rates on swimsuits (HS6112) can be quite high across Asia. Australia charges 10% on women’s swimsuits. China’s tariffs are 17.5% for synthetic materials and 16% for other fabrics. Japan has six different categories for swimsuits with base tariffs ranging from 10.9% to 8.4%. Korea levies 13% tariffs. Vietnam charges 20%.