Lighthizer Urges USMCA Renewal, Warning Crippling Mexico’s Economy Would Harm the U.S.

WASHINGTON DC — Robert Lighthizer, former U.S. Trade Representative and a principal architect of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), has called for the renewal of the trilateral trade deal, warning that dismantling the agreement or paralyzing Mexico’s economy would be a strategic mistake for American interests. “Paralyzing the Mexican economy would also be very bad for the United States,” Lighthizer stated, pointing to shared geographic, cultural, and supply-chain linkages. Lighthizer advocated using targeted tariffs and stricter rules of origin to incentivize higher North American content in manufactured goods. He noted that much of the trade deficit with Mexico stems from products assembled in Mexico using components originating from China. Expressing optimism for upcoming joint review talks, Lighthizer praised lead negotiators, including U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard.