They ask in the US to activate controversy against Mexico for obstacles to yellow corn

Mexico will prohibit the import of transgenic corn that is used as an input for other intermediate goods or final products for human consumption in its domestic market, not only for tortillas, but also to produce fructose, for example, highlighted Raquel Buenrostro, Secretary of the Economy.

At the same time, a group of US legislators, both Republicans and Democrats, asked the White House Trade Representation (USTR) on Friday for the Administration of President Joe Biden to initiate a dispute resolution process on the Mexican ban on importing genetically modified corn. modified and the herbicide glyphosate within the framework of the Treaty between Mexico, the United States and Canada (T-MEC).

Buenrostro clarified that Mexico is restricting only transgenics in the use of corn for human consumption, not for corn for livestock use or for other industrial uses.

We are talking about corn first. Everything else has no theme. What the decree prohibited from cutting is for human consumption, which is our national production, ”he said.

Then Buenrostro added: “Forage, imports for fodder and for industrial use were left open; but it does have some transition conditions that say: after everything that is for food consumption, for example that which is not a tortilla (sic), but can be the fruitful one, that the content can come from somewhere, we also go to remove them gradually, and to remove it gradually we are going to take actions and public policies that lead to this strengthening”.

Mexico registered a consumption of 1 million 291,000 tons of high fructose corn syrup in the 2020-2021 cycle (Oct-Sep), while in the 2021-2022 season the amount dropped to 1 million 291,000 tons, according to projections on United States Department of Agriculture.

The US legislators’ request was made in a letter signed by 24 members of Congress and headed by Republican Representative Adrian Smith and Democrat Daniel Kildee, of the Ways and Means Committee, both delegates from corn-producing states.

According to congressmen, the Mexican government has not maintained a science-based biotech regulatory system for the past four years and is moving forward with the implementation of a presidential decree to phase out the importation of GM corn by January 2024.

“These policies are not based on science and may decrease the supply of corn in North American agricultural supply chains. These actions, in addition to going against the terms of the USMCA, could increase food prices and food insecurity caused by Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine,” they said.

The new barriers to agricultural innovation also threaten food security and key supply chains, they argued.

Mexico recently proposed to the United States to extend the deadline, from 2024 to 2025, to begin banning imports of transgenic corn for human consumption, as well as to modify a decree to clarify certain related regulations.

roberto.morales@eleconomista.mx