Tiohtià:ke (Montreal), 10 November 2026— On 9 November 2026, an individual (“the Submitter”) filed a submission with the Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) under Chapter 24 of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA/USMCA).

In submission SEM-26-012 (Sulfur Recovery at Pemex Refineries), the submitter asserts that Mexico is failing to effectively enforce its environmental law with respect to the recovery of sulfur and the emission of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) into the atmosphere in the areas surrounding the Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) facilities. These facilities include those of the National Refining System (Sistema Nacional de Refinación) and Pemex’s gas processing centers. In particular, the Submitter asserts that Pemex is not complying with standards that require refineries to recover sulfur from their processes. The Submitter maintains that when Pemex’s sulfur recovery plants are under maintenance or out of operation, the sulfur is sent to flares and released into the atmosphere as sulfur dioxide (SO₂). The Submitter asserts that this pollutant contributes to acid rain and to the formation of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5and PM₁₀), posing serious risks to human health.

The Submitter cites provisions of the General Act on Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection (Ley General del Equilibrio Ecológico y la Protección al Ambiente—LGEEPA); the Federal Environmental Liability Act (Ley Federal de Responsabilidad Ambiental—LFRA); the Federal Criminal Code (Código Penal Federal), among other laws.

The Secretariat will review the submission and determine, within 30 days, whether it meets the requirements of CUSMA/USMCA Article 24.27(1), (2) and (3).

To learn more about the SEM process and for more detailed information on this matter, please consult the registry page for the submission SEM-26-012 (Sulfur Recovery at Pemex Refineries).