Firms have until November 3rd to provide comments to the Canadian government on the renewal of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). CUSMA entered into force on July 1, 2020, replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that had been in force since January 1, 1994. Trilateral free trade, under CUSMA and NAFTA before it, has provided certainty for business and investors for more than thirty years.
Article 34.7 allows the Parties to assess the operation of CUSMA and ensure the Agreement remains current. The CUSMA Parties will undertake the first joint review of the Agreement in 2026, which will be an opportunity for the Parties to discuss the functioning of CUSMA, assess the progress of its implementation, reaffirm the Agreement’s success and ensure that it remains fit for purpose in a changing global landscape.
The deadline to comment is November 3, 2025.
The Government of Canada has launched a second phase of public consultations. CAF made a submission in fall 2024, prior to the last Canadian federal election and the election of Donald Trump.
Obviously the 2026 review takes place against the backdrop of considerable unilateral tariff actions taken by the US administration.
Any company may participate in the consultation.
CAF has posted several documents in our member-only news section on this issue:
CAF is setting up a working group/committee to bring together CAF member firms with a significant interest in the renewal of CUSMA/USMCA.
Despite all the tariff disputes with the United States, currently, the provisions of CUSMA/USMCA are in place and support Canadian apparel exports to the US market.
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How to participate
You can provide a written submission in response to the Canada Gazette notice until Nov. 3, 2025. Send a submission or any questions to: CUSMA-Consultations-ACEUM@international.gc.ca
We recommend that any member firm submitting a comment should c.c.: the Canadian Apparel Federation and email a copy of your remarks to: bkirke@apparel.ca.