With the USCMA taking place officially starting July 1st, the road map is being set to be a complete replacement to NAFTA, which was enacted in 1994. The US Customs and Border Protection announced recently a USMCA center being erected in Washington, serving as a central hub for roll out in the upcoming months.

This entity will be joined by Canadian and Mexican customs authorities to help ease trade and communications among the three countries to facilitate all aspects, logistically, for this transition.

“This all comes down to making sure that American consumers get their goods safely, securely and predictably, while protecting the economic security of the United States” said Brenda Smith, Executive Assistant Commissioner of CBP’s Office of Trade.

This new Trade Deal serves as a 21st Century equivalent to accomodate for advancements in supply chain technology, agricultural trade, and also includes detailed language pertaining to protecting intellectual property.

The center will cover issues such as regulatory changes, automation changes that will occur within cargo systems, rules-of-origin changes, as well as new labor laws enacted by USMCA. Operational, legal and logistics experts will help both private and public sector institutions conduct business within the new confines of the USMCA bill. Training, distribution of resources, quality assurance, and compliance are among the list of other tasks and responsibilities assigned to this particular group.

July 1st is the magic date where everything takes place, the USMCA center will be the central means for ensuring economic security.