Not Wait Till 2026: Is the USMCA review process going to be tweaked or renegotiated?

The American Farm Bureau Convention is underway in San Antonio, Texas! Farmers and ranchers gather as the USCMA trade deal review process for next year takes center stage.

According to AFBF’s Dave Salmonsen, “There is a built-in review process to make sure that the agreement is living up to what the three countries want it to. So, the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, each country will start thinking about it this year, defining their goals, and really deciding is this merely a review, look at some tweaks, how is it working, or is this going to be a real negotiation? Are there real big substantive issues that need to be changed and renegotiated?”

However, despite the process in place, Salmonsen warns there are several outside factors that could influence it.

“President Trump has issued an executive order called the America First Trade Policy, and it’s really a direction for all federal agencies to look at a variety of trade issues, but specifically on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement. So there certainly is an opportunity and a potential that all this discussion about USMCA may not wait till 2026,” he adds.

Related Stories
National Pork Board Chief Sustainability Officer Jamie Burr shares a closer look at the Pork Checkoff’s Pork Cares Farm Impact Report, a research program to increase trust in the pork supply chain.
Ethanol markets remain mixed — weaker production and blend rates are being partially balanced by stronger exports as winter demand patterns take shape.
Strong U.S. yields and steady demand leave most major crops well supplied, keeping price pressure in place unless usage strengthens or weather shifts outlooks.
While agriculture doesn’t predict every recession, the sector’s long history of turning down before the broader economy
ARC-CO delivers the bulk of 2024 support, offering key margin relief as producers manage tight operating conditions.