As USMCA enters its review process, Mexico’s priorities focus on maintaining structured dispute resolution and promoting fair compliance across the United States, Canada, and Mexico to ensure stability in key industries.
Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard announced that by the end of January a document outlining Mexico’s priorities will be delivered to President Claudia Sheinbaum. He stressed that the first strategic goal is to keep the agreement intact, followed by strengthening the dispute resolution framework so that trade conflicts are handled predictably rather than through abrupt measures. Mexico is also pushing for symmetry in areas such as labor enforcement and other regulatory mechanisms.
Although US President Donald Trump has dismissed the agreement as insignificant, Ebrard argued that USMCA has proven its value for all three economies. He pointed to trade growth and job creation as evidence that the pact remains a cornerstone of North American integration.
According to Ebrard, the starting point of Mexico’s position will be the economic impact of the agreement: how trade has expanded, how many companies depend on it, and how many jobs are tied to cross-border supply chains. He added that Mexico is now the United States’ largest trading partner, while Canada ranks second.
The review process is already underway and is scheduled to conclude by July 1. Ebrard emphasized that the exercise is not a renegotiation from scratch, but a structured evaluation of the treaty’s scope and performance. Authorities have already mapped out the areas that concern each country most and identified the topics that will carry the highest priority during the talks.
Mexican Business Leaders Back the USMCA
After Trump’s remarks dismissing the USMCA as insignificant, Mexican business leaders argued that the agreement should be strengthened to ensure legal certainty, energy stability, and better investment conditions across North America.
“Mexico is not the problem. Mexico is the solution,” said Juan José Sierra Álvarez, President, COPARMEX. He noted that Mexico is ready to support US diversification with industrial capacity and skilled labor, but stressed that the region needs a coordinated strategy and clearer rules in Mexico to attract investment.
From an industrial standpoint, José Carlos Pons, President, ANIQ, said the agreement has been central to regional manufacturing growth, tripling chemical trade to more than US$60 billion and supporting key sectors such as automotive, electronics, and pharmaceuticals. He added that the review is an opportunity to deepen integration and modernize regulations.
Octavio de la Torre, President, Concanaco Servytur, emphasized that the US–Mexico relationship is structural, not optional. “Supply chains, industrial integration, and regional competitiveness show that the United States depends on Mexico as much as Mexico depends on the United States,” he said.
US and Canadian business leaders agree on the USMCA’s importance for North American competitiveness. US executives emphasize integrated supply chains supporting over 13 million jobs and call for preserving the agreement’s core while making targeted improvements. Meanwhile, Canadian groups view Mexico as a key partner for trade, energy, and critical minerals, though regulatory and non-tariff barriers must be addressed to ensure resilient and competitive supply chains.
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