U.S. corn growers victor over Mexico

Corn growers in the United States have defeated a Mexican ban on genetically-modified corn varieties in an appeal to the disputes-settling administration under the free trade agreement among Canada, the United States and Mexico (CUSMA).

The dispute traces back to December 2020, when Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador first announced plans to ban GM corn by the end of 2024. 

Mexico’s position intensified in early 2023 with the issuance of a decree banning GM white corn, effective immediately. 

This action spurred the National Corn Growers Association and state corn grower groups to push for a formal dispute settlement under the CUSMA, which the U.S. Trade Representative ultimately pursued.

The decision also opens the Mexican market to Canadian corn exports. Canada supported the appeal and said “Canada shares the concerns of the United States that Mexico is not compliant with the science and risk analysis obligations under CUSMA’s Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Chapter.

“Canada believes that the measures taken by Mexico are not scientifically supported and have the potential to unnecessarily disrupt trade in the North American market.”