Launch of North American Trade Parliament

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Canada–U.S.–Mexico Trade Council Announces Launch of North American Trade Parliament Following Inaugural Oakland Session

Following its August 19 inaugural session in Oakland, the NATP begins building a permanent framework connecting business organizations from the municipal to national level across Canada, the United States and Mexico.

OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 23, 2026 — The Canada–U.S.–Mexico Trade Council (CUSMEX) announced the official launch of the North American Trade Parliament (NATP) following its inaugural session held August 19 in Oakland, California. The NATP brought together representatives from chambers of commerce, government and economic development entities, business associations, industry organizations and the private sector, creating a new framework for sustained institutional cooperation across the three North American economies.

An initiative of CUSMEX, the NATP is designed to move beyond traditional conferences by providing participating institutions with an ongoing structure to identify shared challenges, contribute institutional priorities, develop recommendations, build cross-border initiatives and advance coordinated action on issues affecting the North American economy.

A Significant Economic Footprint

The jurisdictions, industries and business communities represented through institutions participating in the inaugural session encompass an economic footprint exceeding:

These figures reflect the broader economic scale of the jurisdictions, industries and business communities represented through participating institutions. They do not represent assets, revenues or economic activity directly controlled by the NATP or CUSMEX.

Connecting North America From the Municipal to the National Level

A fundamental objective of the North American Trade Parliament is to broaden the institutional voices participating in conversations about the future of the North American economy.

The NATP is being developed to bring together business organizations and economic institutions at every level — municipal and local, regional, state and provincial, and national — from Canada, the United States and Mexico.

International trade agreements and major economic negotiations are necessarily conducted at the national level and frequently involve priorities affecting major industries and sectors. However, the economic consequences of those decisions extend far beyond large corporations and major industry groups.

They reach small and medium-sized enterprises, manufacturers, family businesses, agricultural producers, exporters, importers, suppliers, entrepreneurs and locally rooted businesses whose experiences and priorities may not always achieve the same visibility in national and international economic discussions.

These businesses represent a substantial part of the economic fabric of North America.

Local and regional chambers of commerce, business associations and economic development organizations are often among the institutions closest to these businesses. They understand the practical challenges companies face in their communities — from access to export markets and financing to customs procedures, workforce shortages, infrastructure, technology adoption, supply chains and regulatory barriers.

The NATP seeks to create a bottom-up as well as top-down institutional channel connecting those local and regional economic perspectives with organizations operating at the state, provincial and national levels.

The objective is not to replace existing chambers, associations, trade organizations or government consultation mechanisms. Rather, the NATP is designed to connect them across borders and levels of representation, creating a trilateral structure through which priorities originating in individual communities, regions and industries can become part of a broader North American economic conversation.

From Institutional Priorities to Trilateral Recommendations

Through the General Assembly and specialized committees, participating institutions will be able to introduce priorities and proposals reflecting the needs of the businesses, industries and communities they represent.

Those issues can then be examined alongside perspectives from institutions in the other two countries, allowing the NATP to identify where challenges are local, where they are shared across borders, and where there may be opportunities for coordinated solutions.

Recommendations developed and approved through established NATP procedures may then be formally communicated to appropriate municipal, state and provincial, and federal authorities in Canada, the United States and Mexico, accompanied by institutional documentation and follow-up.

This creates a pathway from the local business community to the trilateral level:

The NATP does not exercise governmental or legislative authority. Its role is institutional, advisory and consultative, providing a structured mechanism through which participating organizations can develop recommendations and engage relevant public- and private-sector stakeholders.

Priorities for a More Competitive North America

The inaugural program addressed major issues shaping the future of the continental economy, including:

• Trade and cross-border commerce
• Nearshoring, reshoring and regionalization
• Manufacturing and supply-chain integration
• International trade and investment
• Infrastructure and economic development
• Workforce, talent and education
• MSMEs, innovation, technology and digital commerce
• Energy, mining and sustainability
• Agriculture and food security
• Tourism and regional promotion
• Women, youth and business leadership
• North American competitiveness

These priorities reflect the broader mandate of the NATP to address economic issues affecting businesses, industries, institutions and communities across the three countries.

“The strength of North America is not only found in our largest industries or corporations. It is also found in the millions of small and medium-sized businesses, producers, manufacturers, suppliers and entrepreneurs operating in communities across our three countries,” said Víctor Rosales, President & CEO of the Canada–U.S.–Mexico Trade Council and Chair of the North American Trade Parliament.

“Our objective is to connect the institutions closest to those businesses with regional and national organizations and give them a structured pathway to bring their priorities into the North American conversation. A challenge affecting businesses in one community may also be affecting thousands of businesses across Canada, the United States and Mexico. The NATP gives us a mechanism to identify those common challenges, develop recommendations and build a stronger trilateral voice around them.”

A Permanent Trilateral Institutional Structure

The NATP operates through a General Assembly and specialized committees, providing a permanent framework for institutional representation, deliberation and collaboration.

Its specialized committees address:

• Trade, Customs and Supply Chain
• Investment, Infrastructure and Economic Development
• Labor Force, Talent Mobility and Education
• MSMEs, Innovation, Technology and Digital Commerce
• Energy, Mining and Sustainability
• Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security
• Tourism, Culture and Regional Promotion
• Women, Youth and Business Leadership

Between assemblies, the NATP will provide continuity for participating institutions to develop priorities, recommendations, partnerships and cross-border initiatives.

Beginning in 2027, the North American Trade Parliament plans to convene three assemblies annually — one in Mexico, one in Canada and one in the United States — creating a rotating structure for sustained trilateral engagement.

The inaugural session in Oakland represents the first step in establishing that permanent framework.

About the North American Trade Parliament

The North American Trade Parliament (NATP) is a trilateral initiative of the Canada–U.S.–Mexico Trade Council (CUSMEX) established as a permanent institutional platform for cooperation among Canada, the United States and Mexico.

The NATP connects business and economic organizations across different levels of representation — from local and municipal organizations to regional, state, provincial and national institutions — providing a structured mechanism to identify shared economic priorities, develop recommendations, strengthen cross-border relationships, advance collaborative initiatives and support coordinated advocacy.

The NATP is an institutional, advisory and consultative platform and does not exercise governmental or legislative authority.

Across this broader inaugural representation, the participating jurisdictions, industries and business communities encompass:

This broad participation helped establish the foundation for a permanent platform connecting regions, institutions and business communities across Canada, the United States and Mexico.

To everyone who contributed to this historic beginning: thank you for helping shape a new chapter in North American cooperation.

This is only the beginning.

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