Canadian Parliament Approves NAFTA Rewrite

Canada's House of Commons approved the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement -- called CUSMA in Canada -- by unanimous consent March 13, before adjourning until April 20 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Canadian Senate passed it less than an hour later. Royal Assent, the equivalent of a presidential signature in the U.S., followed shortly, and the Senate adjourned as well. Now, all three countries must continue to work on uniform regulations so that they can certify the treaty is ready to enter into force. Efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease COVID-19 may slow that process, because the countries also have to evaluate the progress toward fulfilling commitments, such as setting up labor courts in Mexico and getting new rules of origin processes in place. Once that certification is issued, NAFTA will be replaced on the first day of the third month after the announcement.