The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of more than $23 million in funding to strengthen labor law enforcement in Mexico and ensure that U.S.-Mexico trade benefits American workers and businesses.
The department awarded $15.4 million to Partners of the Americas and $8 million to Creative Associates International to support efforts with Mexico’s government, private sector, and workers to enforce labor laws and ensure compliance with labor provisions of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, negotiated under the first Trump administration. These projects will target labor practices that suppress wages, distort competition, and give bad actors an unfair trade advantage at the expense of American workers.
Administered by the Bureau of International Labor Affairs , the projects advance President Trump’s trade agenda by holding Mexico accountable to its labor commitments. The projects focus on key USMCA priority sectors in Mexico that compete directly with U.S. businesses – where weak enforcement can undercut American jobs and wages. The goal is to strengthen enforcement and empower workers to report violations, including through the USMCA Rapid Response Mechanism . By ensuring Mexico meets its commitments, the department is helping U.S. workers compete and win in global trade.
Partners of the Americas, founded in 1964 under the Alliance for Progress, is a Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan nonprofit that builds cross-border partnerships to improve lives and create economic opportunities, including by addressing labor rights.
Creative Associates International, founded in 1977, advances training and other capacity-building outcomes to achieve optimal efficacy and impact for the benefit of American workers.
The Bureau of International Labor Affairs increases American job and wage growth by combating foreign abusive labor and unfair trade practices in global supply chains that undermine U.S. prosperity and security.