USMCA Certification Requirements and Sample Template

Under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) that entered into force on July 1, 2020, there is no required certificate of origin form or specified format for exporters, producers, or importers to use to certify that their goods satisfy the USMCA origin criteria and qualify for preferential trade benefits. Instead, importers must have a written certification […]

USTR Notifies Congress that USMCA Will Enter into Force on July 1st

Today (April 24, 2020), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer notified Congress that Canada, Mexico and the United States have taken measures necessary to comply with their commitments under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), and therefore the Agreement will enter into force on July 1, 2020. The USMCA is the successor agreement to the North American […]

Side-by-Side Comparison of Key Provisions in the NAFTA and the USMCA

As the USMCA’s entry into force nears, U.S. importers and exporters who have been making NAFTA claims or issuing NAFTA Certificates of Origin should become familiar with the provisions that will remain essentially the same under the USMCA as well as with the modifications that the USMCA will make to the prior NAFTA requirements. The […]

USTR Requests Petitions from North American Auto Producers to Use Alternative Staging Regime for the USMCA Rules of Origin

On April 21, 2020, USTR published a Request for Petitions from North American automotive producers of passenger vehicles and light trucks for an alternative to the standard staging regime for the rules of origin for automotive goods under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), that will soon replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Petitions must […]

What’s Next for the USMCA and When Will It Take Effect?

Now that Canada, Mexico and the United State have ratified[1] the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and have passed the Agreement through their national legislatures, what will happen next? The USMCA is the intended successor agreement to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Some have jokingly referred to the USMCA as simply “NAFTA 2.0” while […]

Senate Overwhelmingly Passes USMCA, Entry into Force Expected in Mid-2020

On January 16, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (“USMCA”), which modifies, updates and will replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”). The Senate vote was 89-10 in favor of the updated trade agreement. President Trump is expected to sign the implementing bill this week. Canada is expected to ratify the agreement […]

And Then There Were Three: The U.S., Mexico and Canada Agree to Sign the New USMCA

Canada just joined the United States and Mexico in agreeing to sign on to a modernized NAFTA, which will become known as the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (“USMCA”). The U.S. and Mexico entered their agreement a little over a month ago, and there was a concerted push to conclude the agreement (with or without Canada) before Mexican […]