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 Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which was signed by the U.S., Canada and Mexico in November 2018 during the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires. Mexico was the first Party to ratify the USMCA, followed by the United States and then Canada. Once ratification was completed, the USMCA required the Parties to align their internal laws and regulations with the provisions of the USMCA, and to issue formal notifications of their actions to the other Parties. Canada and Mexico previously issued their notifications, and today the United States issued its own notification. Accordingly, the USMCA will enter into force on the first day of the third month following today’s final notification—July 1, 2020.

In a press release issued earlier today, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative stated that the USMCA’s entry into force marks the beginning of a historic new chapter for North American trade by supporting more balanced, reciprocal trade, leading to freer markets, fairer trade, and robust economic growth in North America. Lighthizer further stated that COVID-19 pandemic “demonstrates that now, more than ever, the United States should strive to increase manufacturing capacity and investment in North America.”

Miller Proctor Law PLLC will continue to track the implementation and entry into force of the USMCA. If you have any questions relating to the USMCA or other international trade-related issues, please contact us.