Canada, Mexico and the United States conclude first CUSMA Commission meeting

Trade ministers from Canada, the United States and Mexico announced the conclusion of a successful first meeting of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement’s (CUSMA) Free Trade Commission (FTC).

The ministers discussed progress on the implementation of the new NAFTA, as well as important trilateral trade issues such as the resilience of the trilateral integrated supply chain, the importance of strong labour standards and taking action to end forced labour, advancing environmental priorities and mitigating the economic effects of climate change.

During the meetings the Ministers reviewed the work already underway to advance cooperation under the Agreement.

Despite the challenges and hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic, committees established by the Agreement have convened virtually since entry into force on July 1, 2020, including the Committees on Origin and Origin Procedures, Textiles and Apparel Trade Matters, Trade Facilitation, Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, Technical Barriers to Trade, Transportation Services, Financial Services, Intellectual Property Rights, State-Owned Enterprises and Designated Monopolies, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Issues, Competitiveness, and Good Regulatory Practices.

The Ministers took note of these committees’ progress and offered recommendations for future work to maintain progress. This work is critical to the Agreement’s continued implementation.

Link: Joint statement – 2021 CUSMA Free Trade Commission Meeting