MEXICO CITY - Representatives from Mexico and the United States have made progress on the review of the trilateral free trade agreement, aiming to complete the process "as quickly as possible", Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said Wednesday.

In a social media post, the minister said he met in Washington with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to discuss "the next steps" in the process of reviewing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on free trade.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative said in a press release that both sides are ready to negotiate and "begin formal talks on possible structural and strategic reforms" to the trade agreement.

They discussed tariffs on steel and aluminum, the state of the automotive industry, supply chain security, and the future of critical minerals, according to Ebrard.

"We have made progress on many issues beforehand so that the review can proceed as quickly and effectively as possible," the minister explained.

In comparison, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Monday that Canada is focused on building economic resilience and diversifying trade partnerships to reduce its reliance on the United States.

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He characterized US President Donald Trump's recent tariff threat as part of a broader context of trade negotiations with Canada, especially in the lead-up to the upcoming USMCA review.

The three USMCA partners are expected to complete the review of the pact by July 1, according to the agreement's bylaws.

Replacing the 26-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement, the agreement officially took effect on July 1, 2020, and is subject to a six-year review.

Oil shipping to Cuba

In a press conference at the National Palace on Wednesday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that the government will continue to ship oil to Cuba, despite pressures from the US.

Sheinbaum stressed that the decision aligns with Mexico's historical foreign policy, and oil shipments are part of the country's sovereign decisions.

According to Sheinbaum, the shipments are carried out through contracts between the state-owned oil company Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) and a Cuban government institution, as part of Mexico's humanitarian aid for Cuba. Pemex is responsible for determining shipments in keeping with the contracts, she added.

Sheinbaum addressed recent speculation that Mexico was bowing to US pressure to halt oil shipments, which arose after a Bloomberg report suggested a January shipment was suspended.

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"I never said anything about whether it had been suspended ... That was a later interpretation based on a newspaper article," the president said, denying any official decision in that regard.