CUSMA (Canada-US-Mexico Agreement) Replaces NAFTA on July 1, 2020

Jun 26, 2020

The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA or also referred to USMCA) is scheduled to enter into force on , replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).  There will be no transition period.  The CUSMA certificate and Continuation Page are both available in our Forms section of this website https://alphacbusa.com/resources/forms/

Once the CUSMA comes into effect, any claims for preferential tariff treatment must satisfy the rules of origin requirements of the new agreement. For many goods, however, there will be no difference between the NAFTA and the CUSMA rules of origin.  The Rules of Origin document is available in our Forms section of this website https://alphacbusa.com/resources/forms/

The importer will be able to claim the preferential tariff treatment under the CUSMA for goods released on or after the date of entry into force of the CUSMA.  It will not be possible to claim the preferential tariff treatment under the NAFTA for goods released after the CUSMA entry into force date.

The certification of origin may be completed by either the exporter, producer or importer of the goods and may be placed on an invoice or any other document.  Furthermore, the certification of origin may be completed, signed and submitted electronically.

To claim the preferential tariff treatment under the CUSMA, importers must have in their possession the CUSMA certification of origin completed by either the exporter, the producer or the importer at the time of importation.

The importer must provide the certification of origin for which the claim for preferential tariff treatment to the CBP upon request.  You may read more about CUSMA- USMCA- TMEC at https://www.cbp.gov/trade/priority-issues/trade-agreements/free-trade-agreements/USMCA

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