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Shining Light on Farm & Food Policy for 20 Years.
Wednesday, July 17, 2024
Mexico’s arguments in favor of prohibiting imports of genetically engineered corn from the U.S. are not accompanied by any scientific backing, the United States said in a sharply worded rebuttal filed in its ongoing trade dispute with the country.
Representatives of major pesticide and biotech seed companies gathered earlier this month in Mexico City to meet with Mexican ag groups and U.S. and Canadian government officials to flesh out concerns about the potential impacts of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s campaign against genetically modified corn and glyphosate, according to sources with knowledge of the meetings in Mexico.
Mexico’s attempts to rid the country of genetically modified corn from the U.S. could ultimately be put in the hands of a third-party dispute panel, and both sides are counting on science and common sense to prevail.
Mexico’s bold move this week to reinforce its drive to disparage genetically modified corn and ban imports ignores protests from the Biden administration, adding pressure on the U.S. to follow through with recent threats to initiate a dispute under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador issued a modified, new decree Monday to ban genetically modified white corn while temporarily allowing GM corn for feed and industrial uses.
When Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador first unveiled a decree two years ago to ban genetically modified corn and effectively shut out most U.S. exports, Trump administration officials asked themselves the obvious question: Is he really serious about this?
Up until recently Mexico counted on the U.S. for nearly 100% of its rice imports, but that’s no longer the case. Countries like Brazil now find themselves at a price advantage to the once-dominant U.S. and they’re taking advantage of the situation at a rate that has the USA Rice Federation concerned that members are losing their largest and most reliable market.
Democratic leaders are pushing for House passage of President Joe Biden’s package of social and climate spending priorities this week, while the Senate is set to debate an Agriculture Department nominee who will be key to carrying out the administration's climate policy.
