U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai's meetings with North American trade partners Canada and Mexico this week will not delve deeply into major disputes over Mexico's biotech corn and energy policies nor Canadian dairy access, a senior USTR official said on Wednesday.

The annual meeting of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Free Trade Commission will take place on Thursday and Friday in the Mexican resort city of Cancun, with participation from Tai, Mexican Economy Secretary Raquel Buenrostro and Canadian Minister of International Trade Mary Ng.

The meeting is required under the rules of the USMCA, which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement in 2020, for the trading partners to discuss issues related to the trade pact.

A senior USTR official, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity, said the three ministers will discuss the ongoing implementation of USMCA, which is scheduled for a major review and potential updates in 2026. A new subcommittee created last year on competitiveness and supply chains also will meet to update officials on work to facilitate trade flows during crisis situations and prevent disruptions, the official added...

This was excerpted from the 5 July 2023 edition of Reuters.