Reuters: Mexico, U.S. nearing 'full-blown' GMO corn trade dispute

[Judi Lynn]

MND Staff
June 2, 2023



Mexico says it is phasing out GM corn imports by 2024 to protect Mexicans' health and Mexico's native corn from contamination. The U.S. says Mexico's concerns are not based on good science. (Government of Mexico)


The United States government has requested dispute settlement consultations with its Mexican counterpart over Mexico’s plan to phase out imports of genetically modified (GM) corn by 2024.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced the move on Friday, explaining that the consultations will take place under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the free trade pact that took effect in 2020.

“These consultations regard certain Mexican measures concerning products of agricultural biotechnology,” Tai’s office, the USTR, said in a statement.

“… These consultations regard measures set out in Mexico’s February 13, 2023 decree, specifically the ban on use of biotechnology corn in tortillas or dough, and the instruction to Mexican government agencies to gradually substitute — i.e., ban — the use of biotechnology corn in all products for human consumption and for animal feed,” the USTR said.

More:
https://mexiconewsdaily.com/politics/mexico-u-s-nearing-full-blown-gmo-corn-trade-dispute/

[Judi Lynn]

1. US escalates dispute with Mexico over GM corn, after formal consultations fail

June 02, 2023 — 02:48 pm EDT

Written by Cassandra Garrison for Reuters

By Cassandra Garrison

MEXICO CITY, June 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. is escalating its conflict with Mexico over agriculture biotech measures, including the stance on genetically modified (GM) corn, by requesting dispute settlement consultations, senior officials of the U.S. Trade Representative's office said on Friday.

The North American neighbors are inching closer to a full-blown trade dispute under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on trade over Mexico's policies to limit the use of GM corn, which it imports from the U.S. If the consultations announced on Friday fail to resolve disagreements within 75 days, Washington can request a dispute settlement panel to decide the case.

The United States requested formal trade consultations in March over objections to Mexico's plans to limit imports of GM corn and other agricultural biotechnology products. Those consultations took place, but failed to resolve the matter, the senior USTR officials said. Spokespeople for Mexico's Economy Ministry and Agriculture Ministry did not immediately comment on the move.

Earlier this week, Mexico's agriculture minister expressed confidence in an interview that the dispute with the U.S. would not escalate to a dispute settlement panel. The dispute comes amid other disagreements between the U.S. and Mexico, most notably over energy in which the U.S. has argued that Mexico's nationalist policy prejudices foreign companies.

More:
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/us-escalates-dispute-with-mexico-over-gm-corn-after-formal-consultations-fail

[DFW]

2. Good for Mexico!

The USA has no business trying to force its « Frankencorn» on the rest of the world. I don’t know if that one Monsanto troll is still around—the one who never posted anything on DU except to defend Monsanto products and practices. After all, Germany’s Bayer bought Monsanto many years ago now. Maybe the new owners thought they no longer needed to pay a blog troll to defend things they were going to anyway.

[70sEraVet]

3. Here's an idea -- let Mexico control who or what crosses THEIR border!

They dont want their native species replaced by an immigrant species from a neighboring country?
Maybe they can hire Tucker Carlson as their spokesperson!

[Duppers]

4. Exactly!!! And there's a ironic thought re: T(f)ucker.

Creative.

You, sir, should sit on policy making boards or at least, consult!