Canada has kicked off a public consultation to help shape its position on the United States, Mexico-Canada Agreement before the pact’s first joint review in 2026, a step that will influence the rules of trade across a $1.3 trillion cross border corridor.
Global Affairs Canada said the comment window opens Sept. 20 and closes Nov. 3, and will feed directly into Ottawa’s preparation for the review required six years after the deal took effect on July 1, 2020.
The department posted a dedicated submission portal and urged participation from companies, labor, Indigenous organizations, academics, and the general public.
The announcement formalizes a process Canada previewed last year and puts it on a timeline similar to Washington and Mexico City, which also launched their own calls for input. Canada’s notice is an official government action that sets the terms of engagement for stakeholders and signals the issues Ottawa wants to hear about.
Dominic LeBlanc, the cabinet minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, framed the consultation as an exercise in practical policy rather than a referendum on the deal itself.
In a statement, he said the government wants to hear directly from Canadians to ensure the agreement keeps aligning with national priorities and supports growth. Dominic LeBlanc said in a news release, We want to hear directly from Canadians. The government’s release reiterates that the process will inform Canada’s stance going into the 2026 joint review.
The mechanics of the USMCA review matter for markets because the outcome can either reinforce predictability or inject new uncertainty into cross border supply chains.
Under the pact’s review and extension clause, the three countries will assess how the deal is working, consider proposals for adjustments, and decide whether to extend the agreement for another 16 years.
If they do not reach that decision in 2026, the text sets a path for annual check-ins and a potential sunset a decade later, which would keep a risk premium hanging over trade sensitive sectors.
Policy analysts widely expect the process to focus on targeted fixes rather than a wholesale rewrite, but the political calendar in all three countries could pull the talks toward higher stakes demands.
Automakers and parts suppliers are likely to revisit rules of origin that have already drawn formal disputes, while agriculture groups could push for firm enforcement of market access commitments.
Energy companies will watch for any attempt to reopen disciplines on state owned enterprises and environmental provisions, which affect cross border pipelines and clean tech investment.
Digital firms are expected to defend the agreement’s treatment of data flows and source code protections, given the spread of data localization proposals worldwide.
The U.S. Trade Representative opened a parallel comment process and set a public hearing for Nov. 17, with written submissions due by Nov. 3.
The synchronized timelines reduce the odds of one party sprinting ahead of the others and suggest that technical groundwork will unfold in tandem through early 2026.
The United States remains Canada’s largest export market and top source of foreign direct investment, and two way trade in goods and services moves in heavy daily volumes.
The government highlighted those ties in its release while emphasizing that public input will help Ottawa decide where to defend the status quo, where to press partners for improvements, and where to update rules to reflect new technologies and climate policy.
Consultation is used to put concrete asks on the record, including proposed text, compliance fixes, or implementation timelines.
A clean extension would validate current supply chain footprints and rules of origin models. Targeted adjustments could require moderate retooling or documentation changes.
Firms in autos, agriculture, energy, and e-commerce should work with counsel to map which chapters and annexes are most material to their operations and where Ottawa might be receptive to detailed recommendations.
