Day 604 — USMCA Round 1 Formally Opens in Mexico City: Ebrard and Deputy USTR Goettman Launch Bilateral Trade Talks

On May 28, 2026 (Day 604), the first formal USMCA Joint Review bilateral negotiating round began at Mexico's Ministry of Economy in Mexico City — the most significant trade diplomatic event since the EU-Mexico summit on May 22. DELEGATIONS: Mexico's side was led by Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, supported by Ministry of Economy trade negotiators. The U.S. delegation was led by Deputy USTR Ambassador Jeff Goettman; USTR Jamieson Greer had been expected to attend in person on May 27 but was recalled to Washington by President Trump and joined by video call instead. The U.S. team included a bipartisan delegation from the House Ways and Means Committee and approximately 60 business sector representatives. ROUND 1 AGENDA (May 28–29): The two-day session focused on: (1) Economic security framework and supply-chain resilience provisions to reduce dependence on non-USMCA-origin inputs; (2) Rules of origin for key industrial goods — particularly automotive and electronics — with U.S. demands for stricter content requirements to prevent Chinese-origin components from qualifying for USMCA zero-tariff treatment; (3) Chinese nearshoring restrictions and investment screening in critical sectors including semiconductors, batteries, and telecom equipment. EBRARD ASSESSMENT: Economy Secretary Ebrard acknowledged publicly that formal negotiations at this stage make a clean 16-year extension by the July 1, 2026 USMCA Joint Review deadline unlikely — more probable is a provisional agreement with continued negotiations on contested chapters. Mexico's core demands remain: elimination of Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs, digital trade modernization, and clean energy provisions. DIPLOMATIC LEVERAGE: Mexico entered Round 1 with enhanced diplomatic standing following the signing of the EU-Mexico Modernised Global Agreement and Interim Trade Agreement on May 22 — reducing structurally one-sided U.S. dependence. Round 2 is scheduled June 16–17 in Washington D.C. (agriculture, labor standards); Round 3 in the week of July 20 in Mexico City (final consolidation).