USTR Kicks Off USMCA Review

This article is current at the time of posting.

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which entered into force on July 1, 2020, is unique among US free trade agreements in that it includes a "sunset clause." Under this provision, the Agreement will expire after 16 years unless the Parties agree to renew it for another 16-year term before that deadline. As part of this mechanism, the USMCA requires the Parties to meet on the sixth anniversary of its entry into force to consider whether to extend the Agreement. That milestone — July 1, 2026 — will mark the anticipated start of the Commission's joint review process to evaluate renewal.

Under US law, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is required to solicit public comments on the positions the United States should take in these discussions. A request for comments was published on September 16, 2025, and comments and requests to appear at a hearing, scheduled for November 17, are due November 3,