LatAm in Focus: Could a Clash over Corn Upend U.S.-Mexico Trade Ties?

The Mexican corn market supports roughly 50,000 jobs in U.S. heartland states, explains Diego Marroquín, a North American trade expert who served as a nearshoring fellow for the U.S.-Mexico Foundation and writes about the topic for The Hill and El Universal. But it wouldn’t just be the U.S. economy that would take a hit if the ban passes; research indicates the price of corn in Mexico would jump by 19 percent, sparking inflation and threatening the food security of millions of Mexicans. Says Marroquín: “The reality is that U.S farmers need the Mexican market as much as Mexico needs those imports to put food on the table.”

Why is the AMLO government pursuing the ban? “Corn is quintessentially Mexican, just like potatoes are Peruvian or maple is Canadian,” says Marroquín. “Mexico is the birthplace of corn, and I think that’s where AMLO’s coming from.” The president also expressed fears that the product could have health consequences for consumers, even though, Mexico has imported yellow GMO corn for 30 years with no signs of negative health impacts, says Marroquín.