[CTC] Finance aide: USTR says its report on USMCA review will be delivered orally

[Arthur Stamoulis]

Finance aide: USTR says its report on USMCA review will be delivered orally
Inside U.S. Trade, December 9, 2025 at 8:33 PM

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The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will orally deliver a
statutorily required report outlining itsrecommendations for the upcoming
review of U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, according to a
Democratic congressional aide.

The decision drew the immediate ire of Senate Finance Committee ranking
member Ron Wyden (D-OR), who wants a written report for Congress and the
public to review.

USTR has informed the Finance Committee of its oral submission plan for the
report, required under the USMCA Implementing Act, a panel aide told Inside
U.S. Trade in an email on Tuesday.

The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Under the law, USTR must issue a report to Congress at least 180
days before the statutorily mandated trilateral review, set for July 1.
Based on that timeline, the report is due Jan. 2.

The law says the report should include the agency’s assessment of USMCA’s
operation; the “precise recommendation for action to be proposed at the
review and the position of the United States with respect to whether to
extend the term of the USMCA”; “what, if any, prior efforts have been made
to resolve any concern that underlies that recommendation or position”; and
the views of USTR advisory committees regarding that recommendation or
position.

Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden (D-OR) said in a
statement to *Inside U.S. Trade* that Congress passed the USMCA
implementing bill “with the understanding that the joint review process
would involve a close partnership with members and engagement with the
American people.”

“Before the United States enters the joint review with Canada and Mexico,
members of Congress and the public should be able to see a written
report clearly laying out the United States’ position,” he added.

The senator noted that he has “told administrations of both parties that
trade policy is too important to be done in the dark” while charging that
the Trump administration “has repeatedly chosen not to provide Congress,
stakeholders, and the public with a basic level of transparency.”

Wyden has long contended that USTR is insufficiently transparent in its
dealings with Congress, across administrations.

During next year’s review, the three countries must decide whether to let
USMCA expire in another 10 years or to renew it for 16 years. If they do
not agree to extend it, they can continue to meet annually to try to find
an agreement. The review also allows the parties to propose changes to the
deal.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer last week suggested that full
withdrawal <https://insidetrade.com/node/184908> from the deal also could
be on the table next year.

USTR has collected more than 1,500 written comments and last week
hosted three days’ worth of
oral testimony <https://insidetrade.com/node/184927> from a host of
businesses, labor unions, academia and others to inform the review. Many of
those stakeholders urged the administration to preserve the deal, though
some, notably labor leaders, have called for a significant renegotiation.

Greer was asked about the review on Tuesday during a hearing before the
Senate Appropriations Commerce, Justice, science and related agencies
subcommittee. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) noted USTR’s public outreach efforts
to date but said he wanted to “impress the importance of open lines of
communication” between the agency and Congress, as well as stakeholders. He
asked Greer if he would commit to regular consultations and Greer said he
would, adding, “Yes; my staff will be available, I will personally be
available if you want to talk to me.” -- *Margaret Spiegelman* (
mspiegelman at iwpnews.com)
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