The testimony by AAFA is part of a public hearing spread over three days. The hearing was held in advance of the USMCA’s first Six-Year Joint Review, scheduled to commence on 1 July 2026.
Beth Hughes, AAFA’s trade and customs policy, vice president represented the association, offering testimony that focused on the agreement’s impact on supply chains and employment across the participating countries.
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During her remarks, Hughes said: “From cotton to consumer there is a tightly woven supply chain that binds together a network of workers, farmers, and employers throughout Mexico, the US, and Canada.
“The USMCA enables this supply chain, setting clear and predictable ground rules and articulating a long-term incentive structure that powers jobs, investments, and regional trade. Keeping the USMCA strong and stable is vital to the health and growth of this industry supply chain and to the many communities in all three countries whose livelihoods are dependent upon this robust North American trade partnership. That is why I am here declaring our industry’s support for the UMSCA.”
The association’s testimony included specific points submitted as part of its written comments to the USTR.
AAFA called for maintaining duty-free access for goods moving between the three countries. It also recommended against restricting rules of origin further and emphasised the need for technical corrections dealing with short supply provisions as well as cumulation issues.
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By GlobalDataAccording to the association, these measures are necessary to maintain an integrated approach to manufacturing and trade in textiles, apparel, and footwear across North America.
The public testimony builds on previous industry action regarding the future direction of USMCA.
On 3 November, AAFA and various other organisations from the US, Mexico, and Canada addressed a joint letter to Jamieson Greer, the US Trade Representative.
The letter reads: “The textile, apparel, footwear, and retail industries in all three countries are deeply integrated, driving economic growth and creating millions of jobs. The USMCA has provided certainty for our industries to invest and provide consumers with affordable, quality products. To strengthen our regional supply chains, the USMCA must be preserved as a trilateral agreement and extended for another 16 years.
“The USMCA’s clear, predictable rules of origin have been critical for our industries, and we believe overly burdensome and complex requirements would create unnecessary barriers and increase costs for businesses and working families.”
The USMCA, which came into force in 1 July 2020, is a free trade agreement between the US, Canada, and Mexico. It replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
