U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced the establishment of a dispute settlement panel under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement regarding Mexico’s ban of genetically modified corn.
Tai said Mexico’s measures are not based on science and undermine the trade deal in terms of market access. “The United States has used the tools provided by the USMCA in attempting to resolve concerns with Mexico’s biotechnology measures”, she said. “We’re taking the next step in enforcing Mexico’s obligations under the agreement.”
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has long said Mexico’s approach to biotechnology is not based on science and runs counter to decades of evidence clearly demonstrating its safety. “Innovations in agricultural biotechnology play a key role in advancing solutions to our shared global challenges, including food and nutrition insecurity, the climate crisis and the lingering effects of food price inflation,” he said. “By requesting the establishment of a dispute settlement panel with Mexico, the United States is continuing to exercise its rights under the USMCA to ensure that U.S. producers and exporters have full and fair access to the Mexican market. We will continue to support fair, open, science- and rules-based trade, which serves as the foundation of the USMCA as it was agreed to by all parties.”
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commended Tai’s decision. “Mexico’s ban on bioengineered corn is not only a clear violation of USMCA, it also ignores science and denies families in Mexico safe and affordable food. America’s farmers are upholding their obligations by meeting demand while achieving important sustainability goals. Mexico must do the same.”
