North American freight trucking will face an environment of greater regulatory oversight as the review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) progresses , specialists and representatives of the sector agreed during the webinar Inside the North American Trade Negotiations Status Report , organized by the International Road Transport Union (IRU) .
The region is going through a stage characterized by greater enforcement of existing trade rules, particularly on issues related to the origin of goods , cross-border operations and compliance with regulatory requirements, specialists explained during the meeting.
The United States is seeking to strengthen mechanisms to prevent products from third countries from entering the region by taking advantage of the trade benefits of the USMCA. Among the measures that could become more significant are greater coordination in the oversight of foreign investments and the use of technology to trace the origin of goods, explained Antonio Ortiz-Mena, president of AOM Advisors and a former member of the NAFTA negotiating team.
In this context, he considered that transportation and logistics companies will play an increasingly important role by providing information that allows for the certification of product origin and facilitates border crossings. The specialist pointed out that tools such as blockchain and other traceability systems could contribute to more efficient processes with fewer border inspections.
The industry is also observing a tightening of enforcement of existing regulations. Martín Rojas, Director of International Affairs for the American Trucking Associations (ATA) , stated that the sector is currently operating in a period where compliance and trade oversight take precedence over trade facilitation. This situation, he explained, is reflected in increased monitoring of operators , visas, and operational requirements for companies involved in cross-border transportation.
Jerry Schwebel, executive vice president of International Bank of Commerce (IBC) , agreed that the industry is willing to comply with the regulations, but noted that some practices that for years were accepted due to infrastructure or staffing limitations now face stricter enforcement of the legislation, leading to operational adjustments for carriers.
The executive added that regulatory uncertainty can cause disruptions in supply chains when new interpretations or information exchange mechanisms between government agencies lead to additional reviews of operators or companies involved in cross-border trade.
Despite this, participants agreed that the review of the USMCA does not necessarily imply a reduction in regional trade. On the contrary, they believe that greater production integration in North America could increase trade flows and reinforce the strategic importance of trucking in the region.
The governments of the United States, Canada, and Mexico will begin formal rounds of renegotiation of the USMCA next July, although in recent days President Donald Trump has cast doubt on its continuation based on his statements.
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