One of the challenges of revising the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will be addressing trade instruments such as Section 232, which have generated distortions in some productive sectors, said Kenneth Smith, president of the Mexico-United States Bilateral Business Committee of the Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (Comce) , who emphasized that the private sector’s objective is to preserve completely tariff-free trade within North America , provided that the rules of origin are met
During the forum “100 Days After the USMCA Review ,” Smith explained that, in the current trade environment, goods originating in the region continue to benefit from zero tariffs , while products from other economies face tariffs that can reach 10%, 25%, or even 50% in sectors such as steel, aluminum, or strategic minerals.
“This difference, he noted, reinforces the importance of strengthening North American production integration and expanding regional content in strategic industries such as automotive, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing,” a statement said.
In his remarks, he stressed that strengthening North America requires a regional strategy based on technical information , business coordination, and economic analysis that supports the treaty’s relevance to the governments of the three countries.
In that context, he presented the North American Trade Coalition (NATC) initiative , a trilateral platform that brings together representatives from industry and academia in Mexico, the United States, and Canada with the goal of generating analyses and proposals that demonstrate the economic impact of the USMCA.
Sergio Contreras Pérez, CEO of COMCE, emphasized that North America has consolidated its position as the most integrated manufacturing region in the world , operating as a single manufacturing platform. He indicated that bilateral trade between Mexico and the United States is close to one trillion dollars annually, while total trade within the USMCA—including services such as transportation, tourism, and financial services—is approaching 1.8 trillion dollars.
For his part, Luis Rosendo Gutiérrez, Undersecretary of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Economy , stressed that the participation of the private sector will be crucial in the review process.
He reported that the formal start of discussions is scheduled for March 16 and added that priority issues include rules of origin, strengthening regional supply chains, and substituting extra-regional inputs with production within North America.
“We believe that at the end of the treaty review we will have a trilateral agreement in which Canada is a fundamental part. Our vision, and I believe it is Canada’s vision as well, is a regional one. If we are together, we are stronger,” he added.
During the forum, Juan Cortina Gallardo, representative of the Mexican Business Council , noted that the private sector of the three countries is working together to preserve the trilateral nature of the agreement. He recalled that 13 million jobs in the United States depend on trade with Mexico and Canada, and emphasized that the region’s productive integration is one of the pillars of its global competitiveness .
The forum also included a panel focused on regional competitiveness, technological innovation, and supply chains. Sofía Pérez Gasque, general director of the Mexican Association of the Information Technology Industry (AMITI) , emphasized that the information technology sector plays an enabling role for multiple industries.
Among other business leaders and specialists, Carlos García, president of the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico , pointed out that the economic integration between Mexico and the United States is reflected in the regional production structure. He indicated that approximately 40% of the value of Mexican exports incorporates U.S. content, demonstrating the high degree of interdependence between the two economies.
Comce reaffirmed its commitment to contribute its technical capacity, international experience and knowledge of the commercial environment to support companies and authorities in the process of reviewing the agreement.
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