In 2026, the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement will be up for review—and the possibility of political shakeups means that governments should start preparing now.
This report assesses the functioning of CUSMA to date and suggests ways to expand on the rights-based and worker-centred novelties in the agreement that improved upon the original NAFTA. Though national elections will transform governments in all three countries between now and the 2026 review, the worker-centred trade policy of the current U.S. administration will likely live on. For political, geoeconomic and national security reasons, a bipartisan consensus has emerged on the need to renew North America’s manufacturing base and better protect workers from subsidized—financially or through weaker labour and environmental standards—foreign competition.
This report examines how Canada could prepare, and goals to strive towards, starting today.
About the authors
Stuart serves as director of the CCPA’s Trade and Investment Research Project (TIRP), which pools the expertise of academic, labour and non-governmental organization researchers to understand the impacts of trade and investment treaties and policy on the Canadian economy, public services, human rights and international relations.
Gavin Fridell is a University Research Professor in Global Development Studies at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax and a member of the CCPA’s Trade and Investment Research Project (TIRP). He is co-editor, with Zack Gross and Sean McHugh, of The Fair Trade Handbook: Building a Better World, Together.
Mark Rowlinson practices law at Goldblatt Partners LLP where he advances the interests of workers in his international law, trade law and a labour law practice. He has been active in trade and labour matters for over 25 years, first under NAFTA, and now under several Canadian FTAs, including CUSMA.
Simon Archer practices law at Goldblatt Partners LLP. He works with trade unions, retiree associations and boards of trustees across Canada. He is an advisor to Unifor’s project partnership with the Centro de Investigación Laboral y Asesoría Sindical / Center for Labor Research and Trade Union Advice in Mexico.
Mary McPherson is the coordinator of the Trade Justice Network.She has been an advocate, educator and public policy analyst in various economic and social justice organizations for decades.
