WASHINGTON — The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) will testify Wednesday before the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative as the Trump Administration prepares for the upcoming Joint Review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
Sung Chang, RILA’s vice president of international trade, will present the retail industry’s perspective on how a strong, stable USMCA can support economic growth, investment, and job creation across the United States. Chang will speak on behalf of the country’s largest retailers — companies that rely heavily on seamless trade with North American partners to keep store shelves stocked and prices stable for consumers.
Retailers credit the first Trump Administration with securing the 2020 USMCA, which provided the certainty and predictability companies need to plan long term. Chang’s testimony will urge the Administration to build on that success during the Joint Review process.
“Our members touch every aspect of people’s lives,” Chang will say, emphasizing that retailers support the Administration’s goal of using trade policy to boost investment, productivity, industrial capacity, and national economic security. A successful Joint Review — and the resulting 16-year extension of the agreement — “is critical” to strengthening North American competitiveness, he will testify.
Chang will also address the Administration’s aim to reduce the influence of Chinese intermediate goods in North American supply chains. While acknowledging the need for cooperation, he will caution that altering USMCA rules of origin “could create unintended friction and undermine supply chain integration,” potentially harming retailers, suppliers, and consumers.
