Volume 2 – The potential of trade and investment policies to address labour market issues in supply chains

Chapter 4. Labour reforms in Mexico and international trade negotiations: From the North American Free Trade Agreement to the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

This chapter examines the labour dimension of the United States–Canada–Mexico Agreement (USMCA) and its role in the important changes that Mexico’s labour market institutions have undergone in recent years. The authors traces how the dynamics surrounding the negotiations of the agreement have provided a stimulus for change and supported reform efforts by domestic political actors. She then examines the USMCA’s’ labour provisions, including the innovative Rapid Response Labour Mechanism, and shows how this mechanism has helped to address collective labour rights issues in Mexico to date.