Sponsors (3)
The bill seeks to boost U.S. travel exports, preserve and create tourism-related jobs, and reduce cross‑border travel friction through trilateral coordination, but it may impose modest taxpayer costs, risk uneven benefits across regions and businesses, and divert attention from other border and immigration priorities.
Small businesses in tourism (hotels, restaurants, tour operators) and U.S. travel exporters see increased customers and stronger export performance from coordinated North American promotion and travel facilitation.
Workers in transportation and tourism (and middle‑class families who depend on them) could gain or keep jobs as cross‑border travel increases and the travel sector grows.
Americans traveling to, from, and through Canada and Mexico would face fewer delays and more reliable cross‑border travel because a USMCA working group and trilateral coordination can reduce friction at ports of entry and harmonize policies/information sharing.
Taxpayers and local/state governments could face new or increased costs if infrastructure upgrades or additional federal staff/time are needed to implement travel‑facilitation initiatives.
Border communities and law enforcement may face risks if prioritizing travel facilitation diverts attention or resources from border security and immigration processing improvements.
Coordinated trilateral policy efforts could produce regulatory changes that advantage some regions or firms over others, creating uneven local economic impacts.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Directs the USTR to seek a trilateral USMCA Travel and Tourism Trade Working Group to boost North American travel services, competitiveness, and jobs.
Introduced February 9, 2026 by Alice Costandina Titus · Last progress February 9, 2026
Directs the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to seek creation of a trilateral Travel and Tourism Trade Working Group under the USMCA during the first USMCA joint review after this law is enacted. The Working Group would include co‑chairs from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, specified U.S. agencies, regular industry input, annual meetings, and routine briefings to key congressional committees to promote North American travel and tourism competitiveness and jobs. Also states congressional findings about the economic importance of travel and tourism to the U.S. economy and the role of Canada and Mexico as major source markets, and defines “North America” and the statutory USMCA reference used in the Act.