Former trade minister Andrew Robb has likened the Trans-Pacific Partnership to a difficult-to-unscramble omelette following the withdrawal of the US.

President Donald Trump pulled America from the deal using an executive order just three days after his predecessor - and deal supporter - Barack Obama left the White House.

Australia and 10 other member countries are now rallying to salvage the situation.

There's also suggestions China or Indonesia might jump aboard.

Mr Robb said reconfiguring the deal to exclude the US or bring in other countries would be tricky.

"It's not impossible to bring China in but you'd be out for another four or five years of negotiations" and the deal would be "a very big omelette to unscramble", he told ABC TV.

"I'd leave the TPP in the top drawer because I think the politics will change in the United States."

Mr Robb retired from politics in February last year after sealing bilateral free trade deals with Korea, Japan and China and helping negotiate the TPP.

Mr Robb said Australia should now focus on the China-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership trade deal which includes India, Japan and southeast Asian countries.

"If that's concluded this year that will put enormous pressure on the United States - not only trade pressure but also geo-political pressure when the region starts to wonder who do they turn to for leadership," he said.

Trade Minister Steve Ciobo said the road ahead "requires a bit of elbow grease".

"There's still an appetite from a number of countries including Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore and others to look at what we could be able to come up with that would still capture those important gains," he told ABC TV.

Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Peru and Vietnam are also part of the TPP.