Border Trade Alliance adopts 2026 Policy Agenda at annual fall board meeting, prepares for first formal review of USMCA

PDF VERSION

HARLINGEN, Texas – The Border Trade Alliance, a leading voice for pro-trade, pro-commerce policies throughout North America, adopted its 2026 Policy Agenda at the organization’s annual fall board meeting in Harlingen, Texas on Wednesday. The agenda outlines the priorities of the BTA’s five policy committees and places significant emphasis on the upcoming 2026 formal review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

The policy agenda underscores the BTA’s long-held position that tariff-free trade among the U.S., Mexico, and Canada is essential to North American competitiveness. The organization calls on all three governments to preserve and strengthen the agreement’s market-opening provisions, ensure consistent regulatory implementation, and safeguard the seamless movement of goods across borders.

“The 2026 review of USMCA is a pivotal moment for our economies,” BTA Chairman Pete Sepulveda said. “Our board and policy committees have spent months preparing recommendations that reflect the realities of cross-border commerce and the needs of the businesses and communities that depend on it. We’re sending a clear message: North America works best when we keep trade free, efficient, and predictable.”

The BTA recently filed comments with the U.S. Trade Representative outlining the organization’s views on the review of the USMCA, arguing that the review period offers the opportunity to strengthen the benefits of the agreement.

The newly adopted agenda includes committee-developed priorities covering customs and border management, transportation and infrastructure, agriculture and food safety, seaports and maritime trade, and trade policy and regulatory cooperation. Key themes include modernized port-of-entry infrastructure, streamlined federal permitting for new facilities, uniform and risk-based inspection practices, strengthened supply-chain resilience, and investments in emerging technologies that improve trade flows.

“With the 2026 USMCA review quickly approaching, the BTA is laser-focused on ensuring policymakers understand how vital tariff-free trade is to every sector of our economy,” BTA President Ms. Britton Mullen said. “This agenda represents the collective expertise of border stakeholders across the continent. It positions us to effectively advocate for policies that support jobs, strengthen regional security, and keep North America globally competitive. The insight provided by our board members, all of whom are experts in border affairs and trade, ensures that the BTA in 2026 will continue to be the leading advocate on Capitol Hill and beyond for well-managed, properly resourced borders.”

The BTA will share its 2026 Policy Agenda with congressional offices, federal agencies, and key stakeholders in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico in the weeks ahead and will work with partners throughout North America to advance its recommendations.

About the Border Trade Alliance

Since 1986, the BTA has served as a grassroots, non-profit organization that provides a forum for discussion and advocacy on issues pertaining to border development and quality of life and trade in the Americas. A network of public and private sector representatives from the United States, Mexico and Canada, BTA’s core values include a commitment to improving the quality of life of border communities through trade and commerce. The BTA is online at thebta.org and @borderalliance.

# # #