The Trump administration is opening up a public review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) before the formal official joint review of the agreement next year.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced a “public consultation process” in advance of the joint review. As directed by Congress, the USTR is seeing public comments on the trade agreement and will hold a public hearing on Nov. 17 as well.
Officially, the joint review of the trade agreement begins on July 1, 2026, five years after USMCA went into effect.
The value of agricultural trade was rising for all three countries until this year, though statistics show USMCA also has been a major factor in increasing the U.S. agricultural trade deficit.
• In 2020, U.S. agriculture had a combined $17.7 billion trade deficit with Canada and Mexico.
• In 2024, the U.S. agricultural trade deficit with Canada and Mexico had risen to $30.1 billion. Those figures come from USDA’s Global Agricultural Trade System.
U.S. exports to Canada rose $7.2 billion under USMCA from 2020 to 2024 to $29.5 billion, or about a 32% increase since the agreement went into effect. For 2025, U.S. agricultural exports to Canada are down about 5%.
Canada’s farm exports to the U.S. have jumped from $25.3 billion in 2020 to $41 billion in 2024, a 62% increase. Sales this year are down 6%, according to USDA.
U.S. agricultural exports to Mexico rose from $18.3 billion to $30.2 billion from 2020 to 2024, an increase of $11.7 billion annually or a 64% increase. U.S. sales to Mexico in 2025 are down 6% in value.
Mexico’s agricultural sales to the U.S. have risen from $33 billion to $48.8 billion over the same stretch, a 48% increase. Mexico’s sales to the U.S. are down 1% in 2025.
Details on comments
As spelled out by USTR, the focus for solicited public comments includes, but is not limited to:
• 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.
• 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.
• Strategies for strengthening North American economic security and competitiveness, including collaborative work under the Competitiveness Committee, and cooperation on issues related to non-market policies and practices of other countries.
Under the USMCA, all three countries also must confirm 30 days before July 1, 2026, that they each want the trade agreement to continue.
The deadline for submission of comments is 45 days from publication of the notice in the Federal Register. The Federal Register notice published also invites the public to express interest in participating in a public hearing. The public hearing will begin at 10 a.m. EST on Nov. 17 at the U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. If necessary, the hearing would continue on Nov. 18. To request to participate in the hearing, visit comments.ustr.gov/s.
Requests to appear and the summaries of testimony must be received 45 days from publication of the notice in the Federal Register. — Chris Clayton, DTN ag policy editor
