However, automakers insist on extending the USMCA, arguing that it is extremely important for U.S. auto production.
Published January 13, 2026
US President Donald Trump has said that the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) does not concern the United States, but that Canada wants the deal because it requires companies to bring manufacturing back home.
“There’s no real benefit to it. It’s irrelevant,” President Trump said of the trade deal during a visit to Detroit, Michigan, on Tuesday.
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“Canada would love it. Canada wants it. They need it.”
Detroit’s three largest automakers, Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, rely heavily on supply chains that include critical component production in Mexico and Canada, where all three produce hundreds of thousands of cars a year.
In November, major automakers including Tesla, Toyota, and Ford also asked the Trump administration to extend the USMCA, saying it is critical to U.S. auto production.
The Automotive Policy Council, which represents the Detroit Three automakers, said the USMCA would “enable U.S. automakers to compete globally through regional integration, resulting in greater efficiency” and “save tens of billions of dollars annually.”
“Our supply chain goes through all three countries. It’s not simple. It’s very complex. That whole North American presence is a huge strength,” General Motors President Mark Reuss said at an event Tuesday.
President Trump made the comments while touring a Ford factory in Dearborn, Michigan, before delivering a speech on the economy in Detroit on Tuesday.
“The problem is, we don’t need their products. You know, we don’t need Canadian-made cars. We don’t want Mexican-made cars. We want to bring them here, and that’s what’s happening,” he said.
Stellantis said in November that under the 15% tariff with Japan, U.S. cars compliant with North American content rules “will continue to lose market share to imports from Asia, to the detriment of U.S. autoworkers.”
The USMCA will be reviewed this year to determine whether it should be left as it expires or a new agreement should be developed.
The trade deal, which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement in 2020, was negotiated during President Trump’s first term and requires the three countries to conduct a joint review after six years.
On Wall Street, Detroit’s two major automakers are trending lower. Ford was 0.25% below its opening price, Stellantis was down 2.9%, while General Motors was up 0.6%.
