USMCA faces critical 2026 review as U.S., Mexico negotiate changes
The first USMCA review could lock in a 16-year extension or trigger annual renegotiations, with autos, metals and farm trade in the crosshairs.
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The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement entered its first formal Six-Year Joint Review on July 1, 2026, putting automotive parts, steel and aluminum, and cross-border farm trade at the center of a fight over North American supply chains. If the three governments do not confirm an extension, the pact shifts into annual reviews for the rest of its term.
The review is the latest test of a deal that replaced NAFTA when it took effect on July 1, 2020. President Donald Trump has long criticized the arrangement, and his trade team has treated the 2026 checkpoint as a chance to rewrite rules that Trump officials say no longer serve U.S. industry. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told Congress in December 2025 that the review mechanism was designed to ensure the United States would not be locked into outdated rules.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative opened a public comment process in September 2025 and held a public hearing at the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington, D.C., on December 3-5, 2025. Greer then briefed the House Ways and Means Committee on December 16 and the Senate Finance Committee on December 17 on the agreement’s operation.
Talks with Mexico moved from procedure into substance in early 2026. U.S. and Mexican officials launched bilateral discussions on March 5, and USTR instructed negotiators to look at reducing dependence on imports from outside the region, strengthening rules of origin and enhancing North American supply-chain security. Greer met Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum in Mexico City on April 11 to discuss trade and economic relations before the review.
On May 27, USTR announced a series of bilateral negotiating rounds with Mexico. The first took place in Mexico City on May 28-29, where officials discussed automotive rules of origin, steel and aluminum and economic security, while also aiming to reduce the U.S. trade deficit with Mexico and strengthen American supply chains. The second round ran June 16-17 in Washington, D.C., and focused on the Joint Review and bilateral trade relations. A third round was planned for the week of July 20 in Mexico City.
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