FDA Support for U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement

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, 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.