The Trans-Pacific Partnership could be months away from a revival but Australia's trade minister already is claiming a symbolic victory over Labor.
Eleven countries are hammering out a plan to push ahead with the pact minus the US, with officials set to meet in Japan in July.
"Our hope is to be able to present a pathway forward to leaders for November," Steve Ciobo told AAP on Tuesday, referring to a planned meeting on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Vietnam.
Mr Ciobo took a swipe at Labor's doom and gloom view of the TPP.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and trade spokesman Jason Clare had been running around saying we should have walked away from this months ago, he said.
"These guys get the big calls wrong when it comes to trade."
A spokeswoman for Mr Clare said the minister's comments were misleading.
"The TPP signed in New Zealand last year is dead. If this gets up it will be a different agreement," she said.
Mr Clare has previously said: "It's over. Donald Trump has killed the TPP. It's time for Malcolm Turnbull to wake up and move on".
