Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) – Chapter 34 – Final provisions

Article 34.1:  Transitional Provision from NAFTA 1994

1. The Parties recognize the importance of a smooth transition from NAFTA 1994 to this Agreement.

2. Issues under consideration, including documents or other work under development, by the Commission or a subsidiary body of NAFTA 1994 may be continued under any equivalent body in this Agreement, subject to any decision by the Parties on whether and in what manner that continuation is to occur.

3. Membership of the Committee established under Article 2022 of NAFTA 1994 may be maintained for the Committee under Article 31.22.4 (Alternative Dispute Resolution).

4. Chapter Nineteen of NAFTA 1994 shall continue to apply to binational panel reviews related to final determinations published by a Party before the entry into force of this Agreement.

5. With respect to the matters set out in paragraph 4, the Secretariat established under Article 30.6 of this Agreement shall perform the functions assigned to the NAFTA 1994 Secretariat under Chapter Nineteen of the NAFTA 1994 and under, for Chapter Nineteen, the domestic implementation procedures adopted by the Parties in connection therewith, until the binational panel has rendered a decision and a Notice of Completion of Panel Review has been issued by the Secretariat pursuant to the Rules of Procedure for Article 1904 Binational Panel Reviews. 

6. With respect to claims for preferential tariff treatment made under NAFTA 1994, the Parties shall make appropriate arrangements to grant these claims in accordance with NAFTA 1994 after entry into force of this Agreement.  The provisions of Chapter Five of NAFTA 1994 will continue to apply through those arrangements, but only to goods for which preferential tariff treatment was claimed in accordance with NAFTA 1994, and will remain applicable for the period provided for in Article 505 (Records) of that Agreement.

Article 34.2:  Annexes, Appendices, and Footnotes

The annexes, appendices, and footnotes to this Agreement constitute an integral part of this Agreement.

Article 34.3:  Amendments 

1. The Parties may agree, in writing, to amend this Agreement.

2. An amendment shall enter into force 60 days after the date on which the last Party has provided written notice to the other Parties of the approval of the amendment in accordance with its applicable legal procedures, or such other date as the Parties may agree.

Article 34.4:  Amendment of the WTO Agreement

In the event of an amendment of the WTO Agreement that amends a provision that the Parties have incorporated into this Agreement, the Parties shall, unless otherwise provided in this Agreement, consult on whether to amend this Agreement.

Article 34.5:  Entry into Force

This Agreement enters into force  in accordance with paragraph 2 of the  Protocol Replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement with the Agreement  between the  United States  of America, the   United Mexican States, and Canada.

Article 34.6:  Withdrawal 

A Party may withdraw from this Agreement by providing written notice of withdrawal to the other Parties. A withdrawal shall take effect six months after a Party provides written notice to the other Parties. If a Party withdraws, this Agreement shall remain in force for the remaining Parties. 

Article 34.7:  Review and Term Extension

1. This Agreement shall terminate 16 years after the date of its entry into force, unless each Party confirms it wishes to continue this Agreement for a new 16-year term, in accordance with the procedures set forth in paragraphs 2 through 6.  

2. On the sixth anniversary of the entry into force of this Agreement, the Commission shall meet to conduct a “joint review” of the operation of this Agreement, review any recommendations for action submitted by a Party, and decide on any appropriate actions.  Each Party may provide recommendations for the Commission to take action at least one month before the Commission’s joint review meeting takes place.    

3. As part of the Commission’s joint review, each Party shall confirm, in writing, through its head of government, if it wishes to extend the term of this Agreement for another 16-year period.  If each Party confirms its desire to extend this Agreement, the term of this Agreement shall be automatically extended for another 16 years and the Commission shall conduct a joint review and consider extension of this Agreement term no later than at the end of the next six-year period.

4. If, as part of a six-year review, a Party does not confirm its wish to extend the term of this Agreement for another 16-year period, the Commission shall meet to conduct a joint review every year for the remainder of the term of this Agreement.  If one or more Parties did not confirm their desire to extend this Agreement for another 16-year term at the conclusion of a given joint review, at any time between the conclusion of that review and expiry of this Agreement, the Parties may automatically extend the term of this Agreement for another 16 years by confirming in writing, through their respective head of government, their wish to extend this Agreement for another 16-year period.    

5. At any point when the Parties decide to extend the term of this Agreement for another 16-year period, the Commission shall conduct joint reviews every six years thereafter, and the Parties shall have the ability to extend this Agreement after each joint review pursuant to the procedures set forth in paragraphs 3 and 4. 

6. At any point in which the Parties do not all confirm their wish to extend the term of this Agreement, paragraph 4 shall apply.

Article 34.8:  Authentic Texts 

The English, French, and Spanish texts of this Agreement are equally authentic unless provided elsewhere in this Agreement.