Mexican Corn Imports continue to occupy policymakers

While the Mexican government announced last week it will not forbit the import of GMO corn for animal feed and industrial use, it continues to ban its use as human food, along with the herbicide glyphosate. Roundup Ready House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (Mo) and Trade Subcommittee Chair Adrian Smith (Neb) renewed calls for the administration to initiate a formal dispute under the USMCA.

In a letter to USTR Katherine Tai and Agriculture Secretary Tim Vilsack, the Republican leaders said “We are supportive of efforts ‘to hammer out a solution,’ but we must emphasize that these restrictions have been hanging over the heads of American farmers for over two years now and the Government of Mexico has not addressed core U.S. concerns.” New Chief US Agriculture Trade Negotiator Doug McKalip said the Administration is determined to make sure Mexico complies with its USMCA commitments. Considerable resources are being devoted to the biotech issue, he told a meeting of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture last week.