US President Donald Trump announced on Friday, August 21, that his administration is already working on a new trade deal with Mexico, which he described as better for his country. The announcement comes amid the USMCA review, after Washington chose annual reviews of the pact through 2036 rather than extending it for a full 16 years.
The third bilateral round between Mexico and the United States concluded in July with progress on rules of origin, steel, aluminum, the automotive sector, and economic security. The next round is scheduled for the first week of September. According to Bloomberg Línea, the US administration decided not to renew the USMCA for a full 16-year period, leaving the treaty subject to annual reviews through 2036. El Financiero reports that Washington intends to use that process to modify regional trade conditions and address, among other issues, its trade deficit with Mexico. For Mexico, the timeline matters. The USMCA governs the bulk of trade with its main partner, and the rules defined will affect automotive, steel, and aluminum exports.
Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard stated on Friday that Mexico is 'close to substantive agreements' with the United States, without setting a date for finalizing them, according to El Financiero. Among the issues Mexico has raised with Washington are the Section 232 measures on steel and aluminum and those applied to the automotive sector. Ebrard declined to commit to a deadline because, he said, 'it would be irresponsible,' and viewed it as positive that Canada is advancing in its own dialogue with the United States. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Washington postponed until August 22 the entry of 50 percent tariffs on Canadian products, while Trump stated that he 'only makes good deals.'
The next bilateral round between Mexico and the United States is scheduled for the first week of September. Before that meeting, Mexico expects to learn the terms of the agreement between Washington and Canada, which will define the parameters for its own negotiations.
This article was written with artificial intelligence assistance based on verified sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.