USMCA review 2026: not renewed, still in force, now reviewed every year

What changed

The USMCA is the trade agreement among the United States, Mexico and Canada. The Government of Canada calls it the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), so the same process is also called the CUSMA review. On July 1, 2026, the three countries met virtually for the first joint review. In its statement that day, USTR said the United States "did not agree to renew the USMCA in its current form." The same statement says the agreement "remains in force pending resolution of these issues or until the Agreement's termination."

The yearly schedule comes from Article 34.7 of the agreement. As the USTR notice in the Federal Register explains, the USMCA entered into force on July 1, 2020, for a 16-year term that ends on July 1, 2036, unless each country confirms that it wants a new 16-year term. Under Article 34.7(4) of the agreement's final provisions, a country that does not confirm an extension at the six-year review triggers a joint review every year for the rest of the term. The Free Trade Commission, made up of the three countries, holds those reviews. They stop when all three countries confirm an extension or when the term runs out, whichever comes first.

The 2027 review is a US federal process run by USTR. On October 2, 2026, USTR announced that it is seeking public comment on the 2027 joint review. The Federal Register notice followed on October 5, 2026 (FR Doc. 2026-20341). USTR issued it under section 611 of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act (19 U.S.C. 4611) to collect views on how the agreement operates. The date and location of the public hearing will be posted on USTR's website.

Who is affected

Canadian professionals working in the US under TN

TN is a US federal immigration category tied to the agreement. In a Federal Register document published September 11, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) names its legal basis: section 214(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(e)), which authorizes TN admission under Section D of Annex 16-A of the USMCA. Neither the July statement nor the comment notice amends that provision, and the agreement it points to remains in force.

None of the review documents changes who qualifies for TN, the list of eligible professions, how Canadians apply at the border, or the fees. TN workers and their US employers do not have to file anything because of the review. For the rules themselves, see our full guide to how the TN category works.

What is new is the schedule. The agreement's future now comes up every year, so TN workers who plan several years ahead may want to follow the result of each annual review.

Canadian and US businesses that rely on the agreement

There was no USMCA renewal on July 1, 2026, but the agreement's terms still apply to trade between Canada and the United States today. The 2027 consultation is the formal way for a business to put its views to USTR before the next annual meeting.

The agreement also keeps a separate exit clause. Under Article 34.6, a withdrawal takes effect six months after a country gives written notice to the others. None of the review documents described here is a withdrawal notice.

What to do now

If you are a Canadian working in the US under TN, or you employ one:

• No action is needed because of the review. It does not change how you renew, change jobs or cross the border.
• Check for USTR announcements after each annual review, since the agreement's term is now revisited every year.
• To see whether a US job offer may fit TN status, try the TN eligibility self-check.
• If you want a lawyer to look at a renewal or a new TN role before you travel, see how our lawyers prepare TN files for Canadian professionals.

If your business relies on the agreement:

• Read the Federal Register notice and decide whether to send written comments, ask to speak at the hearing, or both. All filings go through USTR's online portal at comments.ustr.gov.
• Use the right docket. Written comments go to docket USTR-2026-0595. A request to appear goes to docket USTR-2026-0596 and must include a summary of your testimony. Both are due January 12, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. EST.
• Watch USTR's website for the hearing date. Rebuttal comments on hearing testimony are due seven calendar days after the last day of the hearing, also under docket USTR-2026-0595.
• List the contracts, prices and supply routes that depend on USMCA terms, so you can respond quickly if a later review leads to changes. For planning of that kind, see how our lawyers advise companies working across the Canada-US border.

Key dates

• July 1, 2020: The USMCA entered into force.
• July 1, 2026: First joint review. The United States did not agree to extend the agreement, which was not renewed and remains in force.
• October 2, 2026: USTR announced that it is seeking public comment on the 2027 joint review.
• October 5, 2026: The Federal Register notice was published (FR Doc. 2026-20341).
• January 12, 2027, 11:59 p.m. EST: Deadline for written comments (docket USTR-2026-0595) and requests to appear at the hearing (docket USTR-2026-0596).
• Date to be announced: The 2027 public hearing, which USTR will post on its website. Rebuttal comments are due seven calendar days after the hearing ends.
• 2027, date to be announced: The next USMCA review: the 2027 annual joint review meeting. USTR runs the public consultation in advance of it (Federal Register notice).
• July 1, 2036: End of the current 16-year term, unless all three countries confirm an extension.