On August 6, 168 Republican members of Congress sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer backing an extension of the USMCA joint review, but conditioning their support on Mexico and Canada fulfilling the market access commitments agreed six years ago.
The letter, led by Republican Rudy Yakym III, a member of the Ways and Means Committee, reinforces the position Greer set on July 1, when the United States rejected extending the treaty in its current form, according to Expansión. The USMCA remains in force, but its renewal is pending while the three countries resolve the differences Washington put on the table. Congress acknowledges that the agreement generated benefits, but believes the review should correct its shortcomings. For Mexico, the message carries two readings: it rules out, at least for now, a break with the agreement, and signals that political backing for its extension will depend on concessions at the negotiating table.
According to El Universal, the letter is signed by 168 of the 218 House Republicans, including 23 of the 26 Ways and Means members. "We support the decision to prioritize results over any deadline," the document states. The legislators concentrate their demands on four fronts:
- Guaranteeing the market access that Mexico and Canada committed to six years ago and which, according to the letter, has not yet materialized in any meaningful way.
- Addressing new measures adopted by Mexico and Canada that, in their view, harm U.S. manufacturers, agricultural producers, and workers.
- Curbing unfair trade and investment practices by third countries seeking to enter the North American market, with the document making no mention of China.
- Rationalizing tariff structures to enhance regional competitiveness in the global market.
For Mexico, the demand to rationalize tariffs carries particular weight because the country seeks to preserve preferential access for its exports to the U.S. market while facing pressure to raise barriers against goods from Asia. The point opens the door to stricter rules of origin and closer oversight of the content of products manufactured in North America.
The next milestone will be the official response from Mexico and Canada to the letter and the progress of the joint review toward year-end, when it will be determined whether the concessions are sufficient to renew the treaty.
This article was drafted with artificial intelligence assistance based on verified sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.