ICYMI: Business Roundtable President & COO Highlights Economic Impact of USMCA at Milken Global Conference

Last week, Business Roundtable President & Chief Operating Officer Kristen Silverberg highlighted the importance of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) during a panel at the Milken Institute’s 2026 Global Conference. The panel — “Trillion-Dollar Triangle: North America’s Next Economic Era” — convened industry and policy leaders to examine how USMCA has been a catalyst for economic growth, job creation and competitiveness in all three countries.

Silverberg emphasized why extending the trilateral agreement is crucial for the U.S. economy, businesses and workers. Here’s what she said (lightly edited for length and clarity):

On how USMCA drives investment in North America:

• “There were lots of reasons to be enthusiastic about investing in North America before USMCA. But USMCA gave investors added confidence about investing in the region, and companies started accelerating their move to regionalize supply chains.”

On how USMCA supports American manufacturing:

• “Seventy percent of imports into the U.S. from Canada and about 60% from Mexico are intermediate goods used for producing something in the U.S. About 50% of trade with Canada and Mexico is intrafirm, meaning companies are trading with their affiliates and moving things around their operations.”

On how USMCA strengthens North American competitiveness:

• “For many years, Chinese manufacturing had a key advantage driven by lower costs, heavy state subsidies and a centralized, massive production platform. Now, North America is building its own advantage with a regional production platform that creates incentives for companies to invest here.”

Click here for a transcript of the full panel.

To learn more about how U.S. trade with Canada and Mexico boosts every state’s economy, click here.