Washington, D.C. (June 9, 2026) - The American Chemistry Council (ACC), together with the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (CIAC) and Mexico’s National Association of the Chemical Industry (ANIQ), today convened industry leaders and key stakeholders at ACC headquarters in Washington, D.C. for a high-level meeting focused on the future of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and the competitiveness of the North American chemical industry.
The Washington meeting marks the third in a trilateral series hosted this year in Mexico City, Ottawa, and now Washington, bringing together leaders from across government and industry to assess implementation of the USMCA and identify opportunities to strengthen regional integration. The discussions underscore the agreement’s critical role as a cornerstone of North American economic growth—supporting highly integrated supply chains, enabling efficient cross-border trade, and reinforcing the region’s ability to compete globally.
Building on the momentum of these engagements, ACC, CIAC, and ANIQ announced the launch of two new industry-led workstreams: one focused on regulatory simplification and trade facilitation—aimed at reducing duplicative requirements, improving border efficiency, and streamlining processes—and another addressing structural excess capacity and rules of origin to strengthen enforcement, improve coordination, and prevent circumvention of trade rules. Together, these initiatives are designed to deliver practical, actionable recommendations that can be implemented under the existing USMCA framework to enhance investment, innovation, and supply chain resilience across North America.
Hosting this important discussion in Washington underscores the strength of our trilateral partnership and our shared commitment to ensuring the USMCA delivers real economic benefits across North America. These new workstreams reflect our focus on moving from dialogue to action—by reducing barriers, strengthening enforcement, and improving how the agreement works in practice. Together with our partners in Canada and Mexico, we are advancing solutions that will support jobs, investment, and long-term competitiveness across the region.
“The North American chemical industry succeeds because our supply chains, markets, and customers are deeply interconnected across Canada, the United States, and Mexico,” said Greg Moffatt, President and CEO, Chemistry Industry Association of Canada. “As we look ahead to the CUSMA review, it is essential that we focus on practical solutions that strengthen our competitiveness, reduce unnecessary barriers to trade, and support investment across the region. The launch of these workstreams demonstrates our shared commitment to advancing regulatory cooperation, improving trade facilitation, and ensuring the agreement continues to deliver tangible benefits for industry, workers, and communities throughout North America.”
“The three countries should reaffirm their commitment to regional free trade and avoid imposing trade restrictions on the region’s chemical products, so as not to undermine the integration of the various value chains,” stated Miguel Benedetto, General Director, National Chemical Industry Association. “This means not only maintaining zero tariffs on all goods in the chemical industry but also providing the legal certainty that our companies and exporters need to continue making significant investments in North America.”
Today’s discussions brought together a diverse group of stakeholders to explore how the USMCA is functioning in practice and where targeted improvements can further strengthen North American competitiveness. Participants examined key issues including regulatory cooperation, supply chain integration, and the importance of efficient trade flows to support manufacturing and innovation across all three countries.
ACC, CIAC, and ANIQ reaffirmed their shared commitment to working collaboratively with governments and stakeholders to ensure full implementation and enforcement of USMCA commitments and to further operationalize tools such as the Chemical Sectoral Annex. Through continued trilateral engagement, the organizations aim to ensure the agreement delivers measurable and lasting benefits for industry, workers, and economies across North America.
