House GOP Backs Greer’s Strategy to Delay USMCA Renewal

A coalition of 167 House Republicans, led by Rep. Rudy Yakym, R-Ind., has formally signaled support for US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer’s decision to prolong the joint review of the USMCA and condition its extension on specific policy concessions from Mexico and Canada.

In a letter sent to Greer, lawmakers from the House USMCA Joint Review group backed the Trump administration's posture, agreeing that Washington should not agree to extend the regional trade deal under the pressure of a rigid deadline.

"As you know, July 1 was the date established by law for the USMCA Joint Review, a process that provides the opportunity to ensure that partners are fulfilling their commitments and that the agreement evolves with the times to face new challenges and seize new opportunities," the lawmakers wrote in the letter.

While July 1 marked the statutory deadline for the treaty’s initial six-year joint review, the US declined to renew the agreement in its existing form. Although the USMCA remains fully in force, its formal extension remains pending while negotiations continue.

"Although our goal is an extension agreed upon by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, we support the decision to prioritize outcomes over a deadline. We hope Mexico and Canada work constructively and expeditiously to achieve that goal," the congressmen stated.

The congressional endorsement ramps up pressure on Mexican and Canadian negotiators to grant concessions that directly benefit US manufacturers, agricultural producers, ranchers, service providers, and energy suppliers. Lawmakers acknowledged that while the USMCA has delivered positive impacts on investment, employment, wages, and exports since taking effect in July 2020, structural revisions are required to resolve lingering disputes and adapt to shifting market realities.

"We believe that the USMCA has generated many positive benefits, but there are important improvements that can and should be made through the Joint Review process," the letter noted.

The Republican coalition concentrated its requirements across four primary policy fronts:

• Market Access Enforcement: Lawmakers urged Greer to secure market access commitments promised by Mexico and Canada when the treaty was ratified six years ago, asserting that meaningful access has yet to materialize. This opens the door for the US to revisit long-standing disputes concerning agricultural commodities, energy policy, telecommunications, technical standards, and customs practices.
• Addressing New Barriers: The letter requested targeted action against newly implemented policies in Mexico and Canada that the US contends harm American manufacturers, farmers, energy firms, and service workers.
• Third-Country Trade Controls: Lawmakers called for stricter provisions to curb unfair trade and investment practices by non-member states seeking to exploit North American supply chains. Aimed at preventing external economies like China from using Mexico or Canada as a duty-free backdoor into the US market, this measure could prompt tighter rules of origin, expanded foreign investment screening, and stricter North American content tracking.
• Tariff Rationalization: The coalition called for adjusting regional tariff structures to enhance North America's global competitiveness. This framework pushes for closer alignment on external tariffs applied to non-FTA nations, placing pressure on Mexico to raise trade barriers against Asian imports in order to preserve its preferential access to the US market.

Rep. Yakym, who serves a district in Indiana heavily reliant on local manufacturing, has been an active proponent of the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on trading partners, including Mexico and Canada.

Lawmakers concluded the letter by reiterating their intent to collaborate closely with Greer to ensure the agreement produces tangible results for US industry.