New England Council Expresses Continued Support for USMCA
On October 31, 2025, the New England Council submitted comments to the Federal Register related to the operation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on trade, encouraging the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and the Trump Administration to continue utilizing this important trade agreement.
The USMCA went into effect on July 1, 2020, and a provision of the USMCA allows “for the Agreement to terminate 16 years after the date of entry into force, unless each Party confirms that it wishes to continue the Agreement for a new 16-year term.” The parties involved are required to “meet on the sixth anniversary of entry into force (i.e., July 1, 2026) to conduct a Joint Review of the operation of the Agreement, evaluate any recommendations for action submitted by a Party, and decide on any appropriate actions.” As a part of this review, “each Party must confirm if it wishes to extend the term of the Agreement” or, if they want to make a recommended course of action, they need to make that known by June 1, 2026.
At the time of its consideration, the New England Council encouraged the support of Congress for the USMCA and believes that the USMCA has had – and will continue to have – a positive effect on the New England economy. As such, the Council submitted a show of support to the Trump Administration for the continuation of the USMCA.
For more information on this issue, or on the Council’s Trade Working Group, please contact Peter Phipps at pphipps@newenglandcouncil.com.