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USMCA Comments Highlight Auto Industry Divisions Ahead of Crucial Negotiations

November 13, 2025

The Detroit News
Nov. 10, 2025

Grant Schwab

More than 1,000 organizations and individuals submitted public comments to the Trump administration during a window from mid-September to early November. The letters — which span more sectors than just automotive — shed light on some of the likely battlelines in negotiations.

Above all else, there was industry consensus on the need for a continued deal. Glenn Stevens, executive director of the Detroit Regional Chamber’s MichAuto mobility arm, has stressed the importance of the agreement since Trump returned to office in January. He formalized that position in a letter.”

“(USMCA), which has for nearly six years served as a trilateral bedrock to ensure a level of industry resilience across North America, is the most important trade mechanism for maintaining those supply chains and the jobs and business opportunities they generate,” Stevens wrote.

He added: “The companies we represent — from large OEMs to small, tiered suppliers — rely on the certainty that the USMCA provides in planning long-term capital-intensive investments that drive Michigan’s economy.”