How the USMCA annual joint review works, and what carriers should know
USTR is taking written comments through Jan. 12, 2027, for the next joint review after the U.S. did not agree to a 16-year extension at the July 2026 meeting.
The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement has moved into a cycle of annual reviews, and the U.S. trade office is collecting public comments for the next one until Jan. 12, 2027.
Here is how the process works and why it matters for carriers that haul freight across the borders.
How the agreement's clock works
The USMCA took effect July 1, 2020. Under the agreement, it ends 16 years after that date, on July 1, 2036, unless each of the three countries confirms it wants to continue for a new 16-year term.
The three countries met as the Free Trade Commission on July 1, 2026, for the first joint review. According to a notice from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the U.S. did not agree at that meeting to extend the agreement.
Because of that, the commission must now hold a joint review every year until all three countries agree to extend the term or the agreement expires, whichever comes first.
What USTR wants to hear
USTR announced the comment process on Oct. 2, 2026. It is asking for written comments on five areas:
- Any part of how the USMCA operates or is carried out
- Problems with compliance
- Specific actions USTR should propose ahead of the review
- The investment climate in North America and how well the agreement promotes investment that strengthens U.S. competitiveness
- Ways to strengthen North American economic security and cooperation on non-market policies and practices of other countries
Key dates and how to file
Written comments are due by 11:59 p.m. EST on Jan. 12, 2027, through USTR's online comment portal under docket USTR-2026-0595.
USTR will also hold a public hearing. The date and location will be posted on its website. People who want to testify must file a request and a summary of their testimony by the same Jan. 12 deadline, under docket USTR-2026-0596. Remarks at the hearing are limited to five minutes.
Why it matters for trucking
The agreement sets the trade rules for much of the freight that moves by truck across the Canadian and Mexican borders. Annual reviews mean those rules stay open to change each year rather than being settled until 2036. Carriers, brokers and shippers who rely on cross-border lanes can use the comment process to tell U.S. officials how the agreement affects their lanes and costs.