WASHINGTON – On September 27th, the United States, Mexico, and Canada held the third meeting of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Environment Committee to review implementation of the USMCA Environment Chapter commitments. Assistant United States Trade Representative for Environment and Natural Resources Kelly Milton led the delegation on behalf of the U.S. government.
During the meeting, the United States highlighted efforts to enforce and monitor the USMCA obligations, including those on wildlife trafficking, illegal logging and fishing, marine litter, and illicit trade in ozone depleting substances. The United States stressed the importance of law enforcement collaboration across the Parties, the value in a “whole-of-government” approach to tackling environment and climate change challenges, and ongoing efforts to advance trade measures that support inclusive prosperity.
The Committee received a presentation from the Commission on Environmental Cooperation on current cooperative trilateral activities and priorities, as well as updates on active public Submissions on Enforcement Matters (SEMs). The SEM process is a cornerstone of public participation and engagement within the USMCA Environment Chapter.
Due to technical difficulties, the public session scheduled to follow the Environment Committee meeting was postponed. The Committee will hold a virtual public session as soon as possible and will publicize the rescheduled event details to enable robust public participation.
The United States, Mexico, and Canada have issued a Joint Statement regarding the Environment Committee meeting.
###
