Five Years On, USMCA Reshapes Trade: US Shifts Closer to North American Partners

As the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) reaches its five-year milestone, a new study by the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center reveals a significant reorientation of U.S. trade patterns, moving supply chains away from distant rivals and closer to home.

“The USMCA has increased U.S. exports and helped rebalance supply chains, strengthening U.S. trade,” the report states, underscoring how the agreement has anchored the U.S. economy more firmly in North American cooperation amid rising global uncertainty.

According to the data, trade between the United States and its North American partners has grown steadily since the agreement came into force in July 2020. “Monthly data show a steady rise in both imports and exports under the agreement, with USMCA-compliant trade now making up a larger share of total US commerce,” the analysis finds.

Strategic sectors such as automotive, electronics, and machinery have led this growth. “Post-2020 growth has been led by sectors prioritized under the USMCA,” the report notes, pointing to targeted industrial policies and improved market access.
Trade integration is also linked to broader geopolitical shifts. “Amid rising global trade uncertainty, deepening North American integration is one of the clearest paths to boosting economic security,” the report explains.

Looking ahead to the agreement’s scheduled review in 2026, the Center recommends that “leaders should further modernize customs processes, resolve frictions, and unlock the agreement’s full potential. The future of U.S. economic security—and U.S. global competitiveness—will depend on it”.

This five-year check-in affirms the USMCA’s role in reshaping the landscape of North American trade and suggests that closer regional integration is not only an economic strategy, but a geopolitical imperative.

Related: China Strengthens Ties with Latin America Amid Tensions with the U.S.