Policy and Legal

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative published an official request for public comment yesterday on the U.S.–Mexico–Canda Agreement. The notice is part of the process for the schedule six-year review of the landmark agreement, which the NAM helped to shape and secure back in 2019.

The timeline: The deadline for comments is Nov. 3, ahead of a USTR hearing on Nov. 17.

The topics: The notice includes specific topics that the USTR would like respondents to address, including:

• “Any aspect of the operation or implementation of the USMCA”;
• “Any issues of compliance with the Agreement”;
• “Recommendations for specific actions that USTR should propose ahead of the Joint Review to promote balanced trade, new market access and alignment on economic security with Mexico and Canada”;
• “Factors affecting the investment climate in North America and in the territories of each Party, as well as the effectiveness of the USMCA in promoting investment that strengthens U.S. competitiveness, productivity and technological leadership”; and
• “Strategies for strengthening North American economic security and competitiveness, including collaborative work under the Competitiveness Committee, and cooperation on issues related to nonmarket policies and practices of other countries.”

Mexico’s notice: The government of Mexico also opened a 60-day window for public comment.

• For NAM members seeking to comment through their affiliates, the notice can be accessed here.

What NAM members should do: The NAM is issuing an urgent call for member feedback on specific nontariff barriers.

• This feedback might be part of bilateral talks with Canada and Mexico, and so should be sent to the NAM as soon as possible, the NAM’s trade experts stressed. The NAM will be submitting a draft letter to the USTR summarizing manufacturers’ priorities for policymakers.

The NAM’s focus: The NAM asks that members focus on four broad topics:

• Technical fixes to make the USMCA function better
• Bilateral issues in Mexico or Canada that the review could help address
• New mechanisms or tools that could be built to counter shared challenges in third markets, particularly nonmarket economies
• Sector-specific agreements or commitments that could be pursued to strengthen North American manufacturing

Get in touch: If you are interested in contributing to this important message about an essential pillar of U.S. trade policy, please contact NAM Director of International Policy Kevin Doyle.