U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer testified to the House Ways & Means and Senate Finance Committees this week on the upcoming United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) joint review. The joint review offers a timely opportunity to expand and secure North American supply chains, especially for the critical minerals that are vital to advanced energy technologies, next-generation manufacturing, and defense systems.
We are encouraged to see Ambassador Greer prioritize trilateral engagement with our North American partners for tackling a range of issues, including critical mineral supply chains. Notably, Ambassador Greer cited the Climate Leadership Council’s recommendations to “[protect] North American mining and processing from non-market policies and practices with a new ‘international commodity agreement’ annex for critical minerals” in his testimony.
The Council has appreciated the opportunity to submit comments and testify before USTR to help inform joint review priorities. Many of our proposals align closely with priorities outlined in Ambassador Greer’s testimony, including strengthening rules of origin. Building on this shared approach, we look forward to working with industry partners and policymakers to advance durable trade agreements, including USMCA. These deals offer important tools to strengthen supply chain resilience, enhance U.S. competitiveness, and drive economic growth, all while enabling U.S. manufacturing leadership in the next generation of advanced energy technologies.