America Seeks Referees for International Trade Wrestling Matches
Published Date: 11/25/2025
Notice
Summary
The U.S. is looking for experts to join a special team that reviews trade disputes about unfair taxes on goods between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada under the USMCA. If you want to be on this team from April 2026 to March 2027, you need to apply by December 12, 2025. This helps keep trade fair and smooth, with no extra costs for applicants.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 1 mixed.
Who Is Eligible to Serve
To be selected for the Chapter 10 roster you must be a citizen of a USMCA Party and chosen based on objectivity, reliability, sound judgment, and familiarity with international trade law. Annex 10-B.1 requires at least 75 roster members (each Party selecting at least 25), panels of five people with a majority of lawyers, and the panel chair must be a lawyer; aside from judges, roster members may not be affiliated with a US, Canadian, or Mexican government.
Privacy, Conduct Rules, and Legal Risk
Applications are covered by the Privacy Act and will not be posted publicly, but may be shared with federal agencies, Congressional committees, foreign governments, and the USMCA Secretariat in panel selection. The USMCA Code of Conduct requires disclosure of matters affecting impartiality, allows other business so long as it does not interfere with panel duties, prohibits appearing as counsel before another panel while serving, and false statements can lead to criminal sanctions under 18 U.S.C. 1001.
Call for Panelist Applications
USTR is inviting people to apply to a roster that will serve on USMCA binational panels for the period April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027. To be considered, USTR must receive your application by December 12, 2025 submitted electronically via Regulations.gov using docket number USTR-2025-0208.
Required Disclosures and Application Contents
Applicants must complete a disclosure form about financial interests and affiliations, including client identities and firm clients, and provide details such as FARA registrations, a list of AD/CVD proceedings they advised on, and Spanish language fluency. Applications must be typewritten, include specified sections (name, employment, education, publications, references, etc.), and current roster members need only submit a reapplication statement and updates.
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