The USMCA updates and replaces the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Work on the new agreement lasted several years, had to be approved by both houses of Congress and required the three countries to attest to their compliance with different measures in the agreement. The certifications were finalized at the beginning of this year, which allowed the entry into force of the agreement. The USMCA rules will apply as of July 1, 2020. Here`s an overview of the sections of the USMCA that impact the FDA: Negotiations with Mexico began in May 2016 and the two sides reached an agreement in principle on the commercial side in April 2018. The agreement is referred to differently by each signatory – in the United States, it is called the Agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada (USMCA). .