WASHINGTON (Jan. 14, 2026) - The American Chemistry Council (ACC), National Association of the Chemical Industry of Mexico (ANIQ) and the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (CIAC) hosted a special event in Mexico City to discuss the current status and future opportunity for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)¹. Representatives of the associations were joined by member companies and government officials from across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

The purpose of this event was to discuss and highlight the importance for the North American chemical industry of a timely renewal and full implementation of the USMCA. The USMCA, which replaced the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), has been particularly beneficial to the development of chemical industries in these three countries.

In her remarks, Dr. Kimberly Wise White of ACC emphasized that "In our industry which is facing fierce global competition and unfair import competition from other countries, the importance of the USMCA cannot be overstated in solidifying North American chemical integration."

"CUSMA works -- and it works especially well for an integrated sector like chemistry," said Greg Moffatt, President and CEO of the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada. "As we approach the upcoming review, the focus should be on implementation and enforcement, not wholesale renegotiation. By fully leveraging the Chemical Sectoral Annex and strengthening regulatory cooperation, Canada, the United States, and Mexico can reinforce North American competitiveness, supply chain resilience, and investor confidence at a time of growing global uncertainty."

"The chemical industry strongly supports an open market for products manufactured in North America. A competitive and integrated chemical industry is not an end in itself, but a critical foundation for the competitiveness of the entire North American economy, a shared commitment to rule-based trade, and a clear recognition that acting as a cohesive region is essential to overcome the increasing pressure from global overcapacity in the chemical sector, particularly in regions where production has expanded rapidly," said José Carlos Pons, CEO of the Mexican Chemical Manufacturers Association. ANIQ"

Building on the current benefits of the Agreement, the participants discussed and provided recommendations for the upcoming review of the operations of the USMCA. ACC, ANIQ and CIAC have jointly recommended improving the enforcement of the USMCA and expanding critical manufacturing investments in North America through the USMCA's Annex on Chemical Substances. This Annex is a ground-breaking initiative. It incorporated an industry-driven agreement focused on regulatory cooperation and supply chain resiliency. The USMCA Review provides a unique opportunity to accelerate progress on these chemical and downstream manufacturing priorities in line with the USMCA commitments and government priorities.

During the event, ACC, ANIQ, and CIAC brought together North American business and government leaders to share their practical ideas for how the USMCA could promote new models of innovative economic frameworks that support chemical value chains where North America has a competitive advantage. Implementation of these ideas could positively transform North American chemical manufacturing, particularly addressing common challenges of regulatory simplification and unfair import competition The targeted suggestions made by ACC, ANIQ and CIAC could be incorporated into the USMCA without renegotiating the entire Agreement. All three chemical associations will continue to work with their respective governments and across borders to help educate and advocate the importance of the USMCA for the North American chemical industry and advance clear recommendations that will help bring back more chemical manufacturing.

¹Also referred to as the CUSMA (Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement) or T-MEC (Tratado entre los Estados Unidos Mexicanos, los Estados Unidos de América y Canadá).

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