USTR Asks Mexico To Review Union Rights At Puebla Auto Parts Plant, Freezes Customs Liquidation On Its Goods
Mexico has 10 days to say whether it will review GLM Components Mexico; the step is a process under the USMCA, not a tariff.
The U.S. Trade Representative has asked Mexico to review whether workers at GLM Components Mexico, an auto parts facility in Puebla, are being denied freedom of association and collective bargaining. USTR also directed the Treasury Secretary to suspend liquidation, the final customs accounting step, for unliquidated entries of goods from the plant, according to its Thursday release.
What the documents say
The request for review invokes Article 31-A.4.2 of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and its Rapid Response Labor Mechanism. It says the United States is concerned that the company interfered with workers' union activity through threats, intimidation, coercion or other means, and unlawfully dismissed workers because of union activity.
If Mexico finds a denial of rights, the United States asks it to attempt to remediate the violation within 45 days of the request.
The letter to the Treasury Secretary cites section 752(a) of the USMCA Implementation Act. It directs that liquidation be suspended for all unliquidated entries of goods from the facility. Neither document sets a tariff rate.
How the case got here
A Mexican independent union, Sindicato Regeneración Nacional de Trabajadores y Empleados de la República Mexicana "Morenas," filed a petition on September 8, 2026. It alleges interference with union activity and retaliatory firings.
The Interagency Labor Committee for Monitoring and Enforcement, co-chaired by the Trade Representative and the Secretary of Labor, reviews such petitions within 30 days. USTR said the committee found sufficient, credible evidence of a denial of rights to justify invoking the USMCA's enforcement steps in good faith. The allegations remain allegations; the request asks Mexico to examine them.
What to watch
Mexico has 10 days to say whether it will conduct the review. If it agrees, the review is to be completed 45 days from Thursday.
The action comes as USTR has opened public comment on the next joint review of the trade agreement, with a January 12, 2027 deadline.
The next marker is Mexico's notice, due within 10 days, on whether it will conduct the review.
Sources
- United States Seeks Mexico’s Review of Alleged Denial of Workers’ Rights at GLM Components Mexico — Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
- GLM Components - Request for Review — Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
- GLM Components - Suspension of Liquidation Letter — Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
- USTR initiates next stage of USMCA review | Supply Chain Dive — supplychaindive.com
- US-Owned Canadian Steel Plants Begin Mass Layoffs Amid Trump Tariffs - Newsweek — newsweek.com
- Trump tariffs: Mexican auto exports slump in September — Bloomberg
- Rep. Ro Khanna hears Fuyao Glass workers' claims of Chinese-linked factory abuses | Fox News — Fox News
- Vance suspends Microsoft, others from foreign workers applying for green cards, accuses company of visa 'abuse | Fox Business — Fox Business
