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# FDA Support for U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/fda-support-for-u-s-mexico-canada-trade-agreement/
- Published: 2020-11-24T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T16:37:37.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: FDA Policy/General, #legacy-id-D5148163

FDA Office of Trade, Mutual Recognition, and International Arrangements senior advisors **Anne Kirchner** and **Joseph Rieras** say the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) that took effect 7/1 “aligns regulatory standards with agency practices, betters the quality of products available to American consumers, and levels the playing field for American businesses.” In an agency online [post](https://www.fda.gov/news-events/fda-voices/why-united-states-mexico-canada-agreement-important-fda?ref=fdaweb.com), Kirchner and Rieras say there are two reasons why FDA follows trade policy closely: to protect agency regulations and authorities and to use trade agreements as a vehicle to advance public health.

The post says that the inclusion of sector-specific chapters on FDA-regulated products in the USMCA is an innovation not only in U.S. trade policy but for international public health. They discuss key provisions in the medical device and pharmaceutical annexes.