Mexico rescinds biotech corn ban

WASHINGTON — The Mexican government repealed its ban on biotech corn imports from the United States.

The Feb. 6 move lined up with a dispute panel ruling in late December that Mexico had violated its commitments under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement when it banned the imports.

Those previous measures by Mexico included an immediate ban on the use of GE corn in dough and tortillas and an instruction to Mexican government agencies to gradually eliminate the use of genetically engineered corn for other food uses and in animal feed.

“The U.S. will continue to monitor closely Mexico’s compliance with its USMCA commitments to ensure that Mexico’s agricultural biotechnology measures are based on science and provide U.S. corn growers the market access that Mexico agreed to provide in the USMCA,” according to USTR.

In 2024, the United States exported $5.6 billion of corn to Mexico, the largest export market for U.S. corn. The United States shipped a record 24.5 million tons of corn to Mexico during the 2023-2024 marketing year.

“We are encouraged by this development and pleased by the impact of corn grower advocacy,” said National Corn Growers Association President Kenneth Hartman Jr., of Waterloo, Illinois.

“Mexico must comply with the report and eliminate all measures that ban or restrict the trade of genetically modified corn. The settlement process is still ongoing.”

“The American Farm Bureau Federation applauds Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum for repealing her country’s ban on biotech corn imports from America. Her predecessor’s attempt to limit trade between the two countries was a clear violation of the USMCA trade agreement, which was recently confirmed by a USMCA panel decision,” said Zippy Duvall, AFBF president.

“A ban would have hurt hard-working families on both sides of the border. America’s farmers are dedicated to growing safe and affordable food, and they look forward to continued access to an important trading partner.”

Background

Then-Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador first set off alarms in the Corn Belt in December 2020 when he initiated a decree to ban genetically modified corn by the end of 2024.

At the time, NCGA began outreach to the Trump administration to head off the ban. Those efforts continued with the Biden administration, as well as with members of Congress and Mexican officials.

NCGA leaders argued that the ban would significantly harm growers and rural communities, especially because Mexico is the No. 1 export destination for U.S. corn.

NCGA’s efforts intensified in 2023 when the Mexican president issued a decree banning genetically modified white corn, effective the following day. NCGA and state corn grower groups responded by pushing USTR to file a dispute settlement under USMCA.

On Aug. 17, 2023, the United States established a dispute settlement panel under Chapter 31 of the USMCA, challenging two sets of measures reflected in Mexico’s February 2023 presidential corn decree.

The United States brought claims under the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Chapter and under the National Treatment and Market Access for Goods Chapter of the USMCA, as reflected in the U.S. request to establish a dispute settlement panel.

The panel issued its final report to the parties on Dec. 20, 2024, with the U.S. prevailing on all seven of its claims.

Under USMCA rules, Mexico and the United States were to endeavor to agree on a resolution of the dispute within 45 days from the date of the final report.

The U.S. government consulted with Mexico on actions it could take to resolve the dispute. The United States, in consultation with stakeholders, will continue to monitor closely Mexico’s compliance with its USMCA commitments.