MCGA urges challenge to Mexico ban
The Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) is joining with other corn grower associations to urge the U.S. Trade Representative to initiate a dispute settlement under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in response to Mexico’s proposed ban on GMO corn.
Mexico’s decree, issued last week, followed up on the country’s original decree, which banned GMO corn imports beginning in January 2024. The new decree immediately banned the importation of GMO corn for human consumption. It did indicate that imports of biotech corn used for livestock feed and industrial use would be allowed while the country explores substitutes. It is worth noting that corn is the only import grain subject to the restrictions proposed by Mexico. While a majority of the corn is used for livestock feed, U.S. farmers provide a large amount of food-grade corn to Mexico, and that is what will be immediately impacted by the ban.
The ban would be catastrophic for American corn growers as well as the Mexican people, who depend on corn as a major staple of their food supply. One study showed that if Mexico moves forward with the proposed ban, corn prices would increase 19%, tortilla prices would spike 16% on average, and the nation’s GDP would fall by $19 billion over 10 years.
Over the last several months, the Biden administration and Congress have worked closely with Mexican officials to head off the ban. Those talks culminated in a letter from a Biden administration official earlier this month calling for Mexico to provide further explanation and justification for the original decree.
While the Mexican government had appeared to be seeking a more pragmatic position to promote food security in recent weeks, the latest decree sends a message that Mexico is doubling down on its original position and flouting USMCA, a trade agreement that was signed by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
The ban is another case of decisions based on faulty science that are having serious consequences for farmers. Regulators and health organizations around the world have determined the safety and benefits of GMO crops. The vast majority of U.S. corn is biotech.
“Minnesota corn farmers need open trade with Mexico, and the Mexican people need U.S. corn,” MCGA President Richard Syverson said in a statement. “The time to act is now. We call on the USTR to take immediate action to ensure that this ban is rescinded as fast as possible.”
“The Biden administration has been more than patient with Mexico as U.S. officials have sought to enforce a rules-based trading system and stand up for American farmers,” National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) President Tom Haag said in a statement. “The integrity of USMCA, signed by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador himself, is at stake. Singling out corn — our number one ag export to Mexico — and hastening an import ban on numerous food-grade uses makes USMCA a dead letter unless it’s enforced.”
In recent months, MCGA and NCGA have urged the Biden administration to take a tough position on Mexico’s proposed ban. In December, Syverson, Haag, and 21 other state corn grower leaders sent a letter to President Biden urging him to act on this issue. NCGA has also elevated the issue through briefings and news articles in national publications.
