Why Continuity and Modernization of the USMCA Matters for the Global Cold Chain

The Global Cold Chain Alliance is a proud partner of the recently launched Agricultural Coalition for USMCA. This coalition, consisting of over 40 organizations working in the U.S. agricultural community, is aggressively promoting the renewal of the United States–Mexico–Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA). This agreement is foundational to enabling the safe, secure, and efficient movement of perishable food and other temperature-sensitive products across North America. 

GCCA is encouraged by the positive media coverage the coalition has received and by the bipartisan support voiced during the U.S. Senate hearings held on Thursday, February 12th. However, the outcome of negotiations remains uncertain as all sides prepare for the formal July 1 review deadline. Canada and Mexico are the United States’ two largest agricultural trading partners, with more than $148 billion in agricultural goods moving between the three countries annually. These commodities include meat, dairy, frozen foods, fresh produce, and processed food products — all of which depend on reliable temperature-controlled storage, handling, and transportation.

For cold chain logistics providers, USMCA provides essential regulatory certainty. Integrated North American supply chains depend on predictable, efficient cross-border movement. Our message to all sides as they undertake the upcoming review, is not just that continuity is critical, but that all sides should seize the opportunity to modernize its implementation, particularly in the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) systems governing food safety and agricultural trade.

Strong Digital SPS Systems Exist, But They Must Be Better Connected

The United States, Canada, and Mexico have each significantly invested in digital SPS and trade certification systems designed to strengthen food safety oversight and facilitate trade.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) operates the Public Health Information System (PHIS), which allows exporters to submit export certification applications electronically and enables regulators to review, approve, and digitally issue SPS export certificates. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service operates similar systems for plant products, including the Phytosanitary Certificate Issuance and Tracking (PCIT) system. These integrate with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), the primary single window for trade data submission.  Canada’s MyCFIA platform and Mexico’s Ventanilla Única de Comercio Exterior Mexicana (VUCEM) similarly allow exporters and importers to submit SPS documentation and obtain certification electronically.

These systems represent significant progress, but they were largely developed as national systems, and interoperability between them remains incomplete. This can result in duplicative processes, inconsistent documentation requirements, and avoidable delays at borders. For cold chain operators moving highly perishable goods, even small delays can disrupt supply chains and increase costs. The USMCA review provides an opportunity to close these gaps and create a more seamless digital SPS environment across North America.

Opportunities to Improve the USMCA

As the negotiations continue GCCA will encourage the three governments to prioritize practical modernization measures that strengthen both safety and efficiency, including:

• Making digital SPS certification systems—including PHIS, PCIT, MyCFIA, and VUCEM— fully interoperable. Electronic certificates should be transmitted and recognized seamlessly across borders, eliminating remaining paper requirements, reducing administrative burden, and strengthening traceability.
• Completing the transition to fully digital pre-clearance and pre-arrival processing. By allowing regulators to review SPS documentation before shipments arrive at the border accelerates clearance for compliant shipments, reduce congestion and improves traceability.  This is particularly important for unlocking opportunities to shift more fresh and frozen foods exports onto rail, such as the FSIS-supported proposal to clear Mexican exports at an inland point or origin.
• Expanding mutual recognition of equivalent food safety systems. All three countries operate robust, science-based regulatory frameworks. Reducing duplicative inspections and improving regulatory coordination would maintain safety while improving efficiency.
• Building trusted operator and risk-based inspection programs to allow regulators to focus resources on higher-risk shipments while facilitating compliant trade.
• Improving coordination between customs and SPS agencies—including staffing, operating hours, and inspection procedures—would significantly improve cold chain reliability.

GCCA’s Commitment

USMCA provides the stability needed to support continued investment in cold chain infrastructure. GCCA members invest in refrigerated warehouses, transportation fleets, and advanced monitoring technologies that depend on predictable cross-border trade rules. Modernizing SPS interoperability will enhance both supply chain efficiency and security. Digital certification improves traceability, strengthens regulatory oversight, and allows regulators to verify compliance in real time.

GCCA urges not only the renewal of USMCA but to use the upcoming review to deliver ambitious SPS modernization.  A modernized USMCA will strengthen North America’s cold chain, enhance supply chain security, and ensure the safe and efficient movement of temperature-controlled goods that businesses and consumers rely on every day.