The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) has outlined nuclear verdicts in the U.S., increased cargo theft, and trade barriers limiting Canadian fleets’ growth in Mexico as the key trade challenges to consider during the initial consultations for the upcoming Canada-U.S.-Mexico (CUSMA) trade agreement review in 2026.

CTA’s recommendations also addressed long-standing concerns that have affected cross-border efficiency, such as the need for joint customs inspections, a permanent in-transit process for Canadian carriers in the U.S., and streamlined visa processing for Canadian drivers.

CUSMA trade agreement, which came into effect in 2020, has an agreed-upon sunset provision allowing all parties to mutually review the agreement in 2026. This stipulation was formalized as a part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiations which began in 2018.

“If we want commerce between our countries to grow, our governments must ensure that any policies don’t impede or negatively impact the movement of goods. Simply put, if freight and the trucks that transport goods across the border can’t move efficiently, the value of CUSMA trade is significantly reduced to the detriment of all parties,” said Lak Shoan, CTA’s director of policy and industry awareness programs, in a news release.

With increasing concerns over protectionism as a new U.S. administration takes office, CTA remains optimistic, pointing to progress made in previous negotiations on issues like empty trailer movements.

“Although the renegotiation of NAFTA was contentious at a times, President Trump was a signee on the same CUSMA agreement that all three parties continue to benefit from today,” CTA president Stephen Laskowski said in a release. “The fact that CTA saw progress on bilateral trucking issues, including empty trailer movements during this period, should indicate some optimism around some of the long-standing bilateral issues involving our sector,” 

As the formal review process approaches, CTA says it will continue working with carriers, the Canadian Embassy in Washington, and trucking groups in the U.S. and Mexico to ensure North American trade flows efficiently.