Tomorrow, July 1, Key Day to Determine the Validity and Review of the USMCA: Sheinbaum

ByAlonso Urrutia

This article by Alonso Urrutia and Arturo Sánchez originally appeared in the June 30, 2026 edition of La Jornada, Mexico’s premier left wing daily newspaper.

Mexico City. This Wednesday is an important date for the future of the North American Trade Agreement (USMCA) for determining its validity and the review periods, but in the event that the United States held a contrary position, the treaty itself establishes that there is a ten-year period and, in that case, it would have to pass through the congresses of each of the countries. Ahead of the virtual meeting that those responsible for the negotiations will hold tomorrow, Canada and Mexico have already signed their position to ratify the treaty, but we are awaiting the position of US President Donald Trump.

“The three countries all benefit from tomorrow’s meeting. A lot of work, management, and meetings have been done, there is much progress on many issues, but we have to wait for tomorrow’s formality.”

President Claudia Sheinbaum acknowledged that in the bilateral meetings that have taken place among the three countries, the US strategy has anticipated a greater number of meetings between the United States and Mexico than between the United States and Canada.

There is optimism among the teams of the three countries because there is a willingness to continue with the treaty, but in the case of the United States there are other bodies that bear on the negotiation, because it is no secret to anyone that for Trump the imposition of tariffs is part of his more protectionist vision.

During this morning’s press conference, Sheinbaum stressed that businesspeople are the main defenders of the treaty’s validity because many of them have production chains that span the three countries.

Asked directly about some versions claiming that the future of the trade agreement will be defined after the US elections in November, Sheinbaum said that no country is putting anything on the negotiating table that does not have to do with trade relations.

She said there has been a great deal of progress, meetings, and preliminary agreements throughout the bilateral negotiations with both the United States and Canada, but it will be necessary to wait until tomorrow for it to be formalized in tomorrow’s formal meeting.

The President said that in Mexico “we are calm because we have done what we have to do, but it depends on the United States; in any case, a position against it does not mean the Treaty ends tomorrow, since the provisions in the current treaty provide for ten years.”