Mexico, U.S. Remain At Odds Over Trilateral Trade Agreement

MEXICO CITY, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Mexico and the United States remain divided over several trade issues as the USMCA, the existing North American free trade agreement, comes up for a joint review in July, Mexico's Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Wednesday.

Ebrard made the remarks at a press conference following a remote meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Dominic LeBlanc, Canada's minister in charge of U.S. trade.

During the meeting, Greer confirmed Washington is not currently willing to automatically extend the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) for another 16 years. The three regional partners are working to review the 2020-36 free trade deal before it is renewed.

Ebrard reiterated Mexico's opposition to U.S. tariff measures imposed on its steel, aluminum, and automotive products, as well as to establishing seasonal import schemes for agricultural products.

He noted a key issue in negotiations will be updating the rules of origin and mechanisms to verify compliance, particularly in light of new provisions the U.S. administration seeks to incorporate.

In addition, the USMCA review process will include a new chapter on economic security, he said. The new topic concerns access to strategic minerals and the protection of supply chains amid rising global economic and geopolitical tensions.

He said a U.S.-Canadian trade meeting is scheduled for July 20. 

--NNN-Xinhua