No. At the first USMCA joint review on July 1, 2026, the United States did not agree to extend the agreement for a new 16-year term. The agreement stays in force, and the three countries now hold a joint review every year. Unless all three confirm an extension, USMCA terminates on July 1, 2036. They can still agree to extend it at any time before then.
Who this is for: trade compliance, supply chain and finance leads at U.S. and European fashion, beauty, food and consumer goods importers that buy finished goods or inputs from Mexico or Canada and claim USMCA preference.
What happened at the July 1, 2026 joint review
Article 34.7 of the agreement required the Free Trade Commission, made up of the three governments, to hold a joint review on the sixth anniversary of the agreement's entry into force. The three countries met virtually on July 1, 2026. USTR's statement that day said: "The United States did not agree to renew the USMCA in its current form. As a result, the USMCA is not renewed." It added that "the Agreement remains in force pending resolution of these issues or until the Agreement's termination."
Canada and Mexico both said they support renewal. Dominic LeBlanc, Canada's minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, reaffirmed "Canada's unwavering support for the CUSMA and its renewal." Mexico's Secretariat of Economy said Secretary Marcelo Ebrard presented a letter from President Claudia Sheinbaum in favor of moving toward an extension of the agreement's term.
USTR's notice, available on public inspection and scheduled for Federal Register publication on October 5, 2026, records the outcome this way: "At that meeting, the United States did not agree to extend the Agreement for a new 16-year term."
What an annual joint review means
Under Article 34.7.4, when a party does not confirm that it wants to extend the agreement at a six-year review, the Commission "shall meet to conduct a joint review every year for the remainder of the term of this Agreement." The agreement's rules, including its rules of origin and certification requirements, stay in force while the reviews continue.
| If this happens | Then | Source |
|---|---|---|
| All three countries confirm, in writing through their heads of government, that they want to extend | The term is extended for another 16 years, and joint reviews go back to every six years | Article 34.7.4 and 34.7.5 |
| No extension is confirmed | Joint reviews continue every year, and the agreement terminates on July 1, 2036 | Article 34.7.1 and 34.7.4 |
| A party gives written notice of withdrawal | Withdrawal takes effect six months after notice, and the agreement stays in force for the other parties. This is a separate step from the review. | Article 34.6 |
Key dates
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| July 1, 2020 | USMCA enters into force |
| July 1, 2026 | First joint review. The United States does not agree to extend. |
| October 5, 2026 | Scheduled publication of USTR's Federal Register notice requesting comments for the 2027 annual joint review (91 FR 63379) |
| January 12, 2027, 11:59 p.m. EST | Deadline for written comments and for requests to appear at the hearing |
| Not yet announced | USTR public hearing, with details to be posted on ustr.gov. Rebuttal comments are due seven days after the hearing ends. |
| 2027 | Annual joint review. USTR has not announced a date. |
| July 1, 2036 | USMCA terminates unless all three countries confirm an extension before then |
How to comment by January 12, 2027
Congress requires USTR to publish a notice at least 270 days before each joint review and then to give the public an opportunity to present views, including a public hearing (19 U.S.C. 4611(b)(1)). For the 2027 review, USTR is collecting submissions on its portal at comments.ustr.gov:
- Written comments go in docket USTR-2026-0595, "Request for Comments on the Operation of the Agreement between the United States of America, the United Mexican States, and Canada." Rebuttal comments after the hearing go in the same docket.
- Requests to appear at the hearing go in docket USTR-2026-0596, with a summary of testimony, by the same deadline. Remarks are limited to five minutes, and hearing testimony should not include business confidential information.
- What USTR asks about: any aspect of the operation or implementation of USMCA; compliance issues; recommendations for specific actions USTR should propose ahead of the joint review; the investment climate in North America; and strategies for North American economic security, competitiveness and cooperation on the non-market policies of other countries.
- Confidential information: each page with business confidential information must be marked "BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL" at the top, and a public version must also be filed. Law firms, trade associations or customs brokers filing for someone else should give the full legal name of the organization they represent. Small businesses should identify themselves as such.
For the first joint review, USTR received 1,514 comments in its 2025 consultation, according to Ambassador Greer's December 2025 report to Congress.
What USMCA qualification is worth on today's tariffs
The value of claiming USMCA has changed several times in 2026. Under HTSUS 2026 Revision 20, in effect from September 28, 2026, this is how USMCA status works with each layer of duty:
| Duty layer | Effect of USMCA qualification |
|---|---|
| Normal (column 1) duty | Qualifying originating goods can claim the USMCA preferential rate, the rate in the Special column followed by the symbol S or S+. For most goods that rate is free. |
| Section 301 forced labor action tariffs, 10 percent on products of Canada and Mexico since July 24, 2026 (headings 9903.05.29 and 9903.05.55) | They do not apply to products of Canada or Mexico entered free of duty under USMCA (U.S. note 52(g) and (h), headings 9903.05.93 and 9903.05.94). |
| Section 232 tariffs (steel, aluminum, copper, autos and parts, medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses, lumber and wood products, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, drones) | Collected in addition to any USMCA preferential rate. USMCA relief is limited to specific cases, including: qualifying auto parts and medium- and heavy-duty vehicle parts, other than knock-down kits and parts compilations, owe no Section 232 vehicle parts duty; qualifying vehicles can pay only on their non-U.S. content with Commerce approval; and limited quantities of Canadian and Mexican steel and aluminum authorized by Commerce get a reduced rate. |
| Section 338 tariffs on certain Canadian goods, 50 percent (headings 9903.03.12 to 9903.03.14) | They apply whether or not the goods qualify for USMCA. Since September 29, 2026, certain Canadian products classified in HTSUS headings 0404, 1702, 1703, 2202 through 2208 and 8711 are excluded from importation altogether (CBP CSMS #70050970). |
| IEEPA tariffs and the Section 122 surcharge | Both had USMCA exemptions, and neither applies to goods entered today. CBP stopped collecting IEEPA duties on goods entered on or after February 24, 2026, and the Section 122 surcharge expired in July 2026. |
In practice: for a product of Mexico or Canada that is not covered by Section 232 or Section 338 and whose USMCA rate is free, a valid USMCA claim saves the normal duty plus the 10 percent Section 301 duty. Products on the exemption lists in U.S. note 52(b) through (e), such as beef, coffee, cocoa, energy products, ores, computers, smartphones, civil aircraft parts and pharmaceutical-use articles, do not pay the 10 percent either way, so for them the claim saves only the normal duty. Where Section 232 or Section 338 applies, the stacking rules differ by program, so confirm the full duty for each entry with your broker.
CBP says entries containing the excluded Canadian products "will be unconditionally rejected," and that exclusion also bars admission to a foreign trade zone or bonded warehouse and in-bond transportation. The affected headings include whey and other dairy (0404), sugars and molasses (1702, 1703), and beverages including beer, wine and spirits (2202 through 2208). The annexes to Proclamations 11061, 11062 and 11063 list the exact HTSUS classifications. For alcoholic beverages, the ban applies only where the product meets a scope limit in the alcohol annex; where that limit is "Packaged," it covers bottles, cans, boxes, kegs and similar containers. Covered alcohol outside the ban still pays the 50 percent Section 338 duty, and covered goods already in a bonded warehouse or foreign trade zone before September 29 can be withdrawn for consumption at 50 percent.
What the United States is negotiating with Mexico and Canada
USTR has held bilateral negotiating rounds with Mexico related to the joint review. Its June 2026 joint statement with Mexico's Secretariat of Economy said the teams "advanced discussions on rules of origin for certain industrial goods and economic security." Its July 2026 announcement of the third round listed issues including "trade in steel and aluminum and derivative products, automobiles, economic security, labor, agriculture." At the close of that round on July 23, the two sides directed their teams to meet for a fourth round in Washington, D.C. in September 2026.
With Canada, the United States imposed Section 338 tariffs by proclamations of July 20, 2026, effective August 22, and in September 2026 banned certain Canadian products and changed the lists of goods subject to the tariffs. The White House said the September actions were taken to offset the burden on U.S. commerce from "Canada's discriminatory treatment against U.S. exports of alcoholic beverages, dairy, and motor vehicles." Canada has said it wants to address U.S. "sectoral tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum, autos and lumber."
What importers should do now
- Check that each USMCA claim is supported. Confirm the rule of origin each product relies on, the certification of origin behind each claim, and the supplier records on inputs that support it.
- Put a number on what USMCA is worth to you. For each product from Mexico or Canada, compare the duty with the preference and without it, using the layers above. The difference is what USMCA status is worth to you today.
- Screen Canadian goods against the Section 338 product lists and the September 29 import bans before they ship.
- Decide whether to comment. If rules of origin, steel and aluminum, autos or agriculture matter to your supply chain, the January 12, 2027 deadline is the next chance to put your position on the record.
- Build a yearly check into sourcing plans for Mexico and Canada. Each annual review is a point at which the three governments can discuss changes.
Know what USMCA is worth on each of your lanes.
Duty reduction reviews each product from Mexico or Canada for classification, origin and valuation routes to a lower duty, and flags where a USMCA claim may apply, so you can see what USMCA status is worth on each lane.
A licensed U.S. customs broker reviews and files every entry under your power of attorney: one of our partner brokers, or your existing broker working from the same record. The broker confirms origin and classification before anything is filed. Greenwich does the customs work behind each entry with AI. See how Greenwich works.
Frequently asked questions
Was USMCA extended in 2026?
No. At the first joint review on July 1, 2026, the United States did not agree to extend the agreement for a new 16-year term. Canada and Mexico said they support renewal. The agreement remains in force.
Is USMCA still in effect?
Yes. USTR said the agreement remains in force pending resolution of the issues the United States raised or until the agreement's termination. Its preferential treatment, rules of origin and certification requirements still apply.
When does USMCA expire?
Unless all three countries confirm an extension, USMCA terminates on July 1, 2036, 16 years after it entered into force. They can extend it for another 16 years at any time before then, each confirming in writing through its head of government.
What is a USMCA annual joint review?
Because the United States did not confirm an extension in 2026, the Free Trade Commission, made up of the three governments, now meets every year to review the agreement until all three confirm an extension or the term ends.
How can I comment on the 2027 USMCA review?
Submit written comments in docket USTR-2026-0595 on comments.ustr.gov by 11:59 p.m. EST on January 12, 2027. Requests to appear at USTR's public hearing go in docket USTR-2026-0596, with a summary of testimony, by the same deadline.
Are USMCA goods exempt from the 2026 Section 301 tariffs?
Yes, if they are products of Canada or Mexico entered free of duty under USMCA. The 10 percent Section 301 tariffs on Canada and Mexico that took effect July 24, 2026 do not apply to them (HTSUS Chapter 99, U.S. note 52(g) and (h)).
Do Section 232 and Section 338 tariffs apply to USMCA goods?
Section 232 duties are collected in addition to any USMCA preferential rate, with specific relief only for some vehicles, vehicle parts, steel and aluminum. The 50 percent Section 338 tariffs on certain Canadian goods apply whether or not the goods qualify for USMCA.
Related guides
- USMCA rules of origin: the qualification tests
- USMCA certification of origin: the nine data elements
- USMCA vs NAFTA: what changed for importers
- Section 301 forced labor tariffs: the final action
- How consumer goods importers legally lower U.S. import duty
Sources and limits
- USTR, Request for Public Comments and Notice of Public Hearing Relating to the Operation of the Agreement, 91 FR 63379 (October 5, 2026), dockets USTR-2026-0595 and USTR-2026-0596, and USTR's October 2, 2026 announcement.
- USTR, Ambassador Greer Issues Statement on the USMCA Joint Review, July 1, 2026; joint statements with Mexico of June 18, 2026 and July 23, 2026; report to Congress, December 2025.
- USMCA Chapter 34, Final Provisions (Articles 34.6 and 34.7), and 19 U.S.C. 4611.
- HTSUS 2026 Revision 20, Chapter 99, subchapter III, U.S. notes 2(aa), 16, 33, 38, 51 and 52, and headings 9903.03.12 to 9903.03.14, 9903.05.29, 9903.05.55, 9903.05.93, 9903.05.94, 9903.94.06 and 9903.74.10.
- CBP CSMS #70050970 (September 28, 2026, Canadian import bans), #69606660 (Section 338 duties from August 22, 2026), #69326983 (Section 301 forced labor action duties) and #67834313 (ending collection of IEEPA duties).
- White House fact sheets of July 20, 2026 and September 16, 2026; Government of Canada, statement by Minister LeBlanc, July 1, 2026; Mexico's Secretariat of Economy, Comunicado No. 55, July 1, 2026.
Not covered here: product-specific rules of origin, tariff-rate quotas for certain Canadian agricultural goods, and Section 232 rates by product. Confirm USMCA eligibility and the Chapter 99 headings for each entry with your licensed customs broker before filing. This guide is operational guidance, not legal advice.
Last reviewed: October 3, 2026.