For more information on how these developments may affect your business, please contact Nicole Bivens Collinson at (202) 730-4956 or via email.
FTAs
A CBC article cites U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Cohen as saying the U.S. is “beginning to have our internal discussions about what we might like to talk about with Mexico and Canada” as a required review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement approaches in 2026. While the NAFTA replacement could sunset in 2036, Cohen said he’s “hearing nothing about wanting to get rid of USMCA” and that instead it frequently gets bipartisan praise as “the model example of a modern trade agreement.”
According to an article in The Straits Times, Singapore and the Mercosur trade bloc signed a free trade agreement Dec. 8. The FTA is expected to lower tariffs, improve trade facilitation, foster digital trade, aid small and medium-sized enterprises, and establish transparent investment conditions.
E-commerce
U.S. Ambassador to the World Trade Organization Maria Pagan said recently that the U.S. believes it is important to maintain the long-standing moratorium on customs duties on electronic commerce “for now” to provide space for the WTO’s e-commerce work program. She noted that the moratorium “seems especially pertinent to developing and LDC [least-developed country] members” that are “shifting toward more services-based economies,” and she added that it can help further “predictability and confidence in the digital environment.”
Europe
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has announced that Bryant Trick, a 15-year veteran of the agency, has been named assistant USTR for Europe and the Middle East, where he will work to enhance trade and investment relations with countries in those regions. Trick’s previous responsibilities at USTR include coordinating trade policy toward Korea and helping negotiate the U.S.-Korea FTA as well as serving as lead negotiator for specific chapters or annexes in trade agreement negotiations, including USMCA and TTIP. Earlier in his career he served more than a decade as a foreign service officer in Europe and Asia.
USTR Katherine Tai met with French trade minister Olivier Becht Dec. 12 to discuss U.S.-EU efforts to conclude a global arrangement on sustainable steel and aluminum as well as a bilateral critical minerals agreement. They also discussed WTO reform, including dispute settlement, as well as the ongoing work of the U.S.-EU Large Civil Aircraft Working Group.
Taiwan
At the fourth U.S.-Taiwan Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue, officials discussed responding to economic coercion, supply chain resilience and investment, addressing tax-related barriers to increasing bilateral investment, and ensuring a secure energy transition. The two sides highlighted progress made over the past year and also identified new areas for cooperation.
Ecuador
In a Dec. 12 meeting, USTR Tai and Ecuadorian trade minister Sonsoles Garcia agreed that the U.S.-Ecuador Trade and Investment Council should meet next year and prioritize continued engagement under the Protocol on Trade Rules and Transparency concluded in 2021. This protocol includes provisions on customs administration, trade facilitation, good regulatory practices, anti-corruption, and cooperation among SMEs.
Copyright © 2025 Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A.; WorldTrade Interactive, Inc. All rights reserved.