Mexico Says Formal USMCA Review Talks to Begin Week of May 25

Mexico’s economy minister announced that formal negotiations to review the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement are expected to start the week of May 25. The declaration followed a bilateral meeting with the U.S. Trade Representative, with Mexico set to hear the U.S. position on the coming Monday afternoon and Tuesday before advancing to the next phase. This will be the second round of talks after an initial session held in Washington last month. The USMCA is the pact that governs commerce among the three countries.

Key Points

Formal negotiations to review the USMCA are expected to begin the week of May 25.
Mexico will hear the U.S. delegation’s views on Monday afternoon and Tuesday before moving to the next phase of talks.
This is the second round of USMCA negotiations, following an initial round held in Washington last month; the USMCA governs commerce among the United States, Mexico, and Canada, implicating cross-border trade and commerce sectors.

Mexico’s economy minister, Marcelo Ebrard, said on Monday that formal negotiations to review the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement - commonly known as USMCA - are expected to commence during the week of May 25.

Ebrard made the announcement after a meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. According to the minister, Mexican officials will hear the U.S. side’s views on the matter on Monday afternoon and again on Tuesday, after which Mexico will move to the next phase of the review process.

This forthcoming negotiation session represents the second round of formal talks. The first round took place last month in Washington. Beyond confirming the week in which the next round is expected to begin, officials have outlined only that the immediate next step is to receive and consider the U.S. delegation’s views during the specified Monday and Tuesday slots.

What the USMCA is

The USMCA is the trilateral trade agreement that sets rules and procedures for commerce among the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The review process announced by Mexico is framed as a formal negotiation to examine and potentially revise aspects of that agreement among the three parties.

Process and timeline

According to the economy ministry’s statement, the immediate procedural sequence begins with Mexico listening to the U.S. delegation’s views on a Monday afternoon and the following Tuesday, after which Mexico will proceed to the subsequent phase of negotiations. The formal negotiation period is slated to begin in the week of May 25, marking the transition from initial consultations to a structured review session.

Context of the talks

This round follows the initial negotiation session held in Washington last month. Beyond confirming that sequence - initial round in Washington last month, followed by this expected start week - officials have not provided further detail on agenda items or outcomes.

The announcement centers on the timing and immediate procedural steps for the formal review of the USMCA, reiterating that Mexico will first receive the U.S. presentation of views before advancing the talks.

Risks

Timing uncertainty - the expected start of formal negotiations is scheduled for the week of May 25 but depends on the bilateral exchange of views between Mexico and the United States.
Limited public detail - officials have confirmed sequence and timing but have not disclosed specific agenda items or likely outcomes for the review, leaving details of trade and commerce implications unclear.
Progress contingent on next steps - advancement to the subsequent phase is conditioned on receiving and considering U.S. views during the scheduled Monday and Tuesday sessions, introducing procedural uncertainty.

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