Canada
April 24, 2026
USTR Greer says rules of origin to be central in USMCA talks
Written by Ethan Bernard
US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer said rules of origin will be a major focus of upcoming USMCA review talks.
This comes on the heels of Greer’s recent visit to Mexico. He said if Mexico and the US are going to have a close trade relationship, “we need to make sure that the goods are actually from the US and Mexico and not some third country using Mexico as an export hub to get into the US without any obligations of the agreement.”
Greer made these remarks this week before the House Ways and Means Committee in an exchange with Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), according to a blog post from the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM).
The USTR had a team in Mexico this week, and as SMU previously reported, he met with Mexican government and industry officials to discuss trade relations.
Chinese EVs
In the exchange, Greer also addressed the subject of subsidized Chinese electric vehicles in the USMCA partner countries.
“I think that if the if the Mexicans and the Canadians want to have preferential access into the US market, they need to make sure that they’re controlling their own economic borders,” Greer said.
“And that includes with respect to subsidized autos coming from China or anywhere else, for that matter. We are focused on this,” he added. “Each of these countries have their sovereignty and they can decide what they want to do.”
AAM endorsed the focus on “rules of origin” in USMCA talks. It has also been a focus of both the Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA) and the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).
The USMCA period review is set to start in July. Additionally, Greer and Mexican Secretary of Economy Marcelo Ebrard agreed to a first official bilateral negotiating round for the USMCA Review the week of May 25 in Mexico City.
For steel, both Canada and Mexico are currently subject to 50% Section 232 tariffs for shipments to the US.
