Formal Public Comment Process Expected Within a Month
Mexico: "All Three Countries Need Each Other"
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on September 4 (local time) that the Donald Trump administration in the United States has begun preparations to officially renegotiate the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
Anonymous sources told WSJ that the United States Trade Representative (USTR) plans to initiate the formal public comment process, which is the first stage of renegotiation, within a month. Under current law, the review of the agreement’s implementation must begin by October 4. However, the Trump administration has previously postponed the announcement after signaling the start of the public comment period.
The USMCA is an agreement signed by the first Trump administration in November 2018 and implemented in 2020, replacing the previous North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The main feature of the agreement is the elimination of tariffs on major goods and services among the three countries. At the time, President Trump replaced NAFTA with the USMCA, criticizing NAFTA for causing trade deficits.
According to the agreement’s provisions, an implementation review is conducted every six years, with the first review scheduled for next year. However, WSJ reported that the second Trump administration is interpreting this not as a simple review, but as a renegotiation. As a result, the USTR’s public comment process is considered the starting point for renegotiation. This will be followed by public hearings and a report to Congress, with a trilateral meeting scheduled for July 1 next year.
Immediately after taking office, President Trump imposed high tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico, but exemptions were applied to items covered by the USMCA. Currently, tariff negotiations with both countries remain unresolved, and there is speculation that these measures are linked to the administration’s renegotiation strategy.
Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico’s Minister of Economy, recently stated after a meeting with U.S. officials, “The upcoming review process will not be easy,” but emphasized, “All three countries need each other to maintain competitiveness.”
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