United States Section

Mandate

Article 2002 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) establishes the NAFTA Secretariat comprising of the Canadian Section, the Mexican Section and the United States Section. The mandate of the Secretariat is set out in Article 2002.3 of the NAFTA and reads:

The Secretariat shall:

  1. provide assistance to the Commission;
  2. provide administrative assistance to:
    1. panels and committees established under Section D of Chapter 10 (Review and Dispute Settlement in Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Matters), and
    2. panels established under Chapter 31 (Dispute Settlement), including under Annex 31-A (United States-Mexico Facility-Specific Rapid Response Labor Mechanism) and Annex 31-B (Canada-Mexico Facility-Specific Rapid Response Labor Mechanism);
  3. be responsible for the payment of remuneration to and expenses of panels and committees established under Section D of Chapter 10 (Review and Dispute Settlement in Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Matters) and panelists, assistants, and experts involved in dispute settlement proceedings under Chapter 31 (Dispute Settlement), including under Annex 31-A (United-States-Mexico Facility-Specific Rapid Response Labor Mechanism) and Annex 31-B (Canada-Mexico Facility-Specific Rapid Response Labor Mechanism); and
  4. as the Commission may direct:
    1. support the work of other committees and groups established under this Agreement, and
    2. otherwise facilitate the operation of this Agreement.

Please visit the following website for information on the U.S. Section's mandate beyond NAFTA

Trade Agreements Secretariat

In the administration of the dispute settlement provisions of these agreements, the United States Section of the Secretariat provides professional and advisory support to panels and committees, acts as registrar for dispute settlement panels, coordinates all panel proceedings, and manages all financial aspects of the process.

Contact Us

USMCA Secretariat,
U.S. Section
Room 2061
1401 Constitution Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20230

Telephone No.: 202-482-5438

Fax No.: 202-482-0148

E-mail: usa@nafta-sec-alena.org

Personnel

Paul E. MorrisSecretary
Vidya DesaiInternational Trade Specialist
Jeff Okun-KozlowickiInternational Trade Specialist
Garrett PetersonInternational Trade Specialist
Ashley CrossAdministrative Assistant

Other National Sections

Flag of Canada
Go to: Canadian Section
Flag of Mexico
Go to: Mexican Section
Date Modified: