Reforming North American Trade

In this American Thinker article, John F. Di Leo argues that the real question surrounding USMCA is not whether the agreement survives past 2036, but whether North American manufacturers will survive if they keep outsourcing production and abusing trade rules.

• President Trump’s suggestion that he “may not renew” USMCA has raised concerns among companies dependent on North American trade.
• Di Leo explains that NAFTA and its successor, USMCA, were meant to reward companies that manufacture and source enough components within North America to qualify for duty-free treatment.
• The article stresses that these agreements were not supposed to be blanket tax cuts. They were designed to encourage local manufacturing and regional sourcing.
• According to Di Leo, many companies have misunderstood or ignored Rules of Origin, issuing free-trade certificates without properly verifying whether their products actually qualified.
• He argues that this misuse amounts to fraud or tax evasion in individual cases and reveals a broader failure of the program overall.
• The author says USMCA tightened some rules and improved labor and intellectual property protections, but did not solve the deeper problem of North America continuing to lose manufacturing while China gained market share.
• Di Leo believes the likely near-term path is not immediate termination, but continued review, possible rule-tightening, and eventual reconsideration before the agreement’s 2036 sunset.
• He calls for more government outreach and better internal company training so businesses understand the purpose and legal requirements of free trade agreements.
• The article’s central advice to American businesses is to stop depending on Chinese vendors, educate their purchasing and legal teams, and source more from domestic and North American suppliers.

Read the full story: https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/06/reforming_north_american_trade.html