The United States, Mexico and Canada missed the deadline for renewing the United States Mexico Canada Agreement, with Washington saying it will keep negotiating rather than extend the trade pact in its current form for another 16 years.
In Brief
- The renewal deadline passed with no agreement among the three countries.
- US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the USMCA will not be renewed as currently written.
- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney signaled he had no plans to sign anything soon.
- Mexico had pushed for renewal, while the US wanted further talks.
- The agreement now heads into annual reviews and would fully expire on July 1, 2036 without a new deal.
What Washington Is Saying
Greer said in a statement that the United States would continue talks with Mexico and Canada to fix what he called the deal's shortcomings and to address American trade deficits with both countries. He was blunt about the outcome: the US did not agree to renew the USMCA as it stands, so the pact simply was not renewed.
A senior administration official, speaking to reporters on a call Wednesday, went further, suggesting the agreement has already lost some of its weight because of separate tariff actions President Trump has taken outside the deal's framework. That official said Trump's central worry remains the size of America's trade deficits with its neighbors.
Carney's Dry Response and Mexico's Push
Carney, speaking to reporters Tuesday, made clear he was in no rush, joking that he was not looking for his pen. Mexico, by contrast, had called for renewing the pact, while the US administration kept insisting on more negotiation before committing to anything long term.
Trump himself has been openly skeptical of the agreement he signed during his first term. Last month he told reporters he was not a big fan of it and would rather not have the deal at all, though he added he might still sign something eventually, saying only that they would see what happens.
Where the USMCA Negotiations Go From Here
The agreement currently zeroes out tariffs on millions of goods moving among the three countries, and the missed deadline had been expected for days. Talks with Mexico are set to continue this month in Mexico City, following a June 15 to 17 round in Washington that produced a noncommittal joint statement saying discussions had advanced. No direct talks with Canada are currently scheduled, leaving that relationship less defined.
Sectors likely to feature in future rounds include automobiles, where Canada, Mexico and automakers alike want lower duties, along with aerospace and food products, areas where the US runs trade surpluses. With the deal now entering a stretch of annual reviews and no firm timeline for a fresh agreement, the three governments could be negotiating on and off for months or even years before anything is finalized.