The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (“USTR”) has announced opportunities to provide input on key trade topics. The USTR published a Federal Register notice seeking public comments and testimony on the operation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (“USMCA”). Comments are due November 3, 2025, as are any requests to testify at the hearing scheduled for November 17, 2025. This public participation process provides a rare opportunity for companies and the general public to provide feedback on how the USMCA has worked for them, to highlight specific challenges and opportunities and even to advocate for modifications to the trilateral trade agreement.
This public consultation process is required under U.S. law in anticipation of a joint review of the USMCA that will take place next year. Under Article 34.7 of the USMCA, the three countries must convene a sixth year joint review of the agreement’s operation to consider its renewal. Unlike its predecessor (North American Free Trade Agreement of 1994), the USMCA will terminate after 16 years (in 2036) unless each country agrees to renewal for another 16-year term.
USTR’s notice seeks comments on the following:
- Operation and implementation of the USMCA.
- Issues of compliance with the USMCA.
- Recommendations for specific actions that USTR should propose ahead of the Joint Review to promote balanced trade, new market access, and alignment on economic security with Mexico and Canada.
- Factors affecting the investment climate in North America and in the territories of each Party, as well as the effectiveness of the USMCA in promoting investment that strengthens U.S. competitiveness, productivity, and technological leadership.
- Strategies for strengthening North American economic security and competitiveness including collaborative work under the Competitiveness Committee, and cooperation on issues related to non-market policies and practices of other countries.
Separately, USTR also published a Federal Register notice seeking public comments on foreign trade barriers for the 2026 National Trade Estimate Report. Comments are due October 30, 2025. USTR seeks comments on the following topics:
- Import policies
- Technical barriers to trade
- Sanitary and phytosanitary measures
- Government procurement
- Intellectual property protection
- Services
- Investment
- Subsidies
- Anticompetitive practices
- State-owned enterprises
- Other non-market policies and practices
- Labor
- Environment
- Other barriers
USTR seeks comments on these issues with respect to the following countries and territories specifically: Algeria, Angola, the Arab League, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, the European Union, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Uruguay, and Vietnam.
The purpose of this report is to help the USTR and policy makers with assessing bilateral trade relations for future rounds of trade negotiations. This public comment process provides an opportunity for members of the U.S. trade community to seek USTR’s support with resolving barriers to trade in foreign markets.
