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United States and Mexico formally launch USMCA consultations
The United States and Mexico have formally opened USMCA consultations in preparation for the treaty's joint review in 2026. Canada’s August 2024 process remains the latest Canadian notice.
The United States and Mexico today formally opened public consultations to inform the 2026 “joint review” of the USMCA, joining Canada, which conducted its national public consultation in 2024 ahead of the review timeline. The U.S. notice was published in the Federal Register on 17 September 2025, and Mexico’s notice was published in the Diario Oficial de la Federación on 17 September 2025, setting near‑term deadlines and specific filing channels for stakeholders.
This wave of consultation activity is grounded in USMCA Article 34.7, paragraph 2, which requires the Free Trade Commission to meet on the sixth anniversary of entry into force—1 July 2026—to conduct a joint review of the Agreement’s operation, consider recommendations submitted by any Party, and decide on appropriate actions; each Party may submit recommendations at least one month before the joint review meeting.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative published a Federal Register notice on 17 September 2025 establishing two dockets: USTR‑2025‑0004 for written comments and USTR‑2025‑0005 for hearing participation requests. The notice opens a 45‑day window from publication for submitting written comments and for filing requests to appear at the hearing, each due by 23:59 EST on the 45th day after publication. The hearing will be held on 17 November 2025 at 10:00 a.m. EST in the Main Hearing Room of the U.S. International Trade Commission (with an additional day if needed), and post‑hearing rebuttal comments are due seven calendar days after the last day of the hearing. Submissions must be filed via USTR’s online portal, and the notice details procedures for public and business confidential filings. The notice invites input on implementation and compliance, potential action recommendations to promote balanced trade and market access, North American investment climate and competitiveness, and work under the Competitiveness Committee.
Mexico’s Secretaría de Economía published its aviso in the DOF on 17 September 2025, inviting interested parties to submit information, comments, and recommendations on the operation of the USMCA as part of preparatory consultations for the 2026 joint review. The submission window runs for 60 natural days from publication, ending on 16 November 2025 (inclusive). Submissions may be made by email to consultas.tmec@economia.gob.mx, via the web portal www.buzontmec.economia.gob.mx, or physically at the Secretaría de Economía’s Oficialía de Partes (Calle Pachuca 189, Colonia Condesa, 06140, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City), addressed to the Dirección General comisionada para América del Norte in the International Trade Negotiations Unit. The notice underscores inclusive participation across sectors to inform Mexico’s evaluation and recommendations for the joint review.
Global Affairs Canada conducted its formal public consultation from 17 August to 31 October 2024, announced by a news release and implemented through a Canada Gazette Part I notice; there has been no fresh 2025‑dated Government of Canada notice equivalent to the U.S. and Mexico publications today. Those Canadian materials remain the most recent official consultation record for Canada’s approach to the 2026 joint review.
For the U.S., calculate all internal deadlines from the 17 September 2025 publication date: the 45‑day cut‑off for written comments and hearing requests falls at 23:59 EST on 1 November 2025, with the public hearing on 17 November and a seven‑day post‑hearing rebuttal period thereafter. For Mexico, plan to file by 16 November 2025 and choose the most appropriate channel—email, web portal, or hand delivery—based on the sensitivity and complexity of materials. For Canada, consider whether additional targeted engagement is warranted even though the 2024 public consultation period has closed; stakeholders can align Canadian advocacy with the positions being developed for the U.S. and Mexico processes.
De Minimis Law stands ready to support the drafting and strategic framing of submissions tailored to each authority’s remit, procedural rules, and policy priorities. Coordinated trilateral advocacy can ensure consistent messaging while addressing country‑specific objectives, such as compliance clarifications, sectoral market access asks, competitiveness and investment provisions, and proposals for the Competitiveness Committee’s future work. Early, evidence‑backed filings increase the likelihood that commercial realities are reflected in government positions heading into the 2026 joint review.
