Mexico begins public consultation process for USMCA ahead of review

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MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico has started a public consultation process to gather information on the functioning of the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA), the government’s official gazette said on Wednesday.

The evaluation is being carried out ahead of trade deal’s planned review, Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said in a video shared on his social media. 

The USMCA, which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement in 2020 and was negotiated during U.S. President Donald Trump’s first term, requires the three countries to hold a joint review after six years.

The agreement’s review is formally planned for early 2026, although Mexican officials have expressed hope that talks will begin this year and that the review will end uncertainty around Mexico’s trade relationship with the U.S.

The three countries came to an agreement to announce the start of consultations for the USMCA at the same time, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum told a morning press conference.

She also confirmed her anticipated meeting with Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday, adding, “we will discuss issues related to the trade agreement and bilateral relations.”

Ebrard had said late on Tuesday: “We have been working closely with our counterpart in the United States, the USTR, the United States Trade Representative, and likewise with the Canadian authorities, to prepare the evaluation we have to carry out.”

Information, comments, or recommendations can be submitted during 60 calendar days from the publication of the notification in Mexico’s official gazette, the statement said.

The United States set a consultation period of 90 days while Mexico could extend its submission period for an additional 30 days, Sheinbaum explained.

(Reporting by Ana Isabel Martinez and Aida Pelaez-Fernandez; Editing by Brendan O’Boyle and Richard Chang)