By Natalia Siniawski
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico hopes to start a review of its trilateral trade agreement with the U.S. and Canada in the second half of this year, ahead of schedule, to provide clarity to consumers and investors, the nation’s economy minister said on Tuesday.
“We estimate that we’ll start discussions in the second half of the year,” Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard told journalists on the sidelines of a ministry event with local financial technology firms.
“We hope they’ll happen as soon as possible and that we can reach an agreement soon,” he added.
The USMCA trade pact is up for review next year. U.S. President Donald Trump has pushed for the agreement to be renegotiated ahead of time.
Ebrard said the early review could make trade policies between the three nations “easier and clearer” for both consumers and investors.
On Monday, Ebrard said he expected the planned review to begin ahead of schedule. “That could be convenient for us,” he said. “Because it would make clear to us how (the treaty) will work compared to other parts of the world.”
Despite ongoing U.S. tariffs, the USMCA remains in effect, currently impacting shipments of products such as steel and completed automobiles from Mexico into the United States.
Ebrard added that Mexico is working to negotiate more favorable terms for exports of steel, aluminum, automobiles and tomatoes to the United States.
(Reporting by Natalia Siniawski in Mexico City; Editing by Kylie Madry and Matthew Lewis)
