The United States government has made it clear that it will closely monitor compliance with the Agreement between Mexico, the United States and Canada (T-MEC) by its trading partners andor will hesitate to take decisive action against any violation of the agreement.
This was warned by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in its budget justification for fiscal year 2025.
In the document, the agency noted that “ensuring that the USMCA realizes its potential is a central priority” and to achieve this, it indicated that it “will zealously pursue any violation of the agreement” by Mexico or Canada.
The USTR emphasized that the USMCA has a “detailed process to enforce the commitments” made by the three nations. In that sense, it has established working groups specifically focused on monitoring adherence to the labor and environmental provisions of the trade agreement.
“We will work closely with other agencies to ensure that any potential breaches are investigated and, if necessary, appropriate actions are taken”the budget document warned.
Among the objectives set for 2025, the USTR considers monitoring the implementation of the T-MEC by trading partners, as well as advance the application of key clauses such as those related to the obligations of state companies.
The US will collaborate with Mexico to implement labor reforms
Likewise, he noted that he will continue to collaborate with Mexico to “ensure effective implementation” of the labor reforms required by the labor chapter of the treaty, including the creation of courts and other institutions that protect union representation and collective bargaining.
In the area of cross-border trade, the agency expressed its intention to continue working with Mexico to ensure the safe, efficient and legal crossing of goods across the shared border.
With a requested budget allocation of 76 million dollars and a team of 258 employeesthe USTR makes it clear that it will devote substantial resources to monitoring strict adherence to the USMCA by the other two members of the trading bloc.