Mexico will not change decree banning GM corn

It maintained the ban on GM corn for human consumption, specifically in the use of making tortillas.

“It’s already written … it’s already in the decree,” Buenrostro told, referring to allowing GM corn in animal feed, a key concern for US and Mexican industrialists. “That is why care was taken to give the definition of corn for human food.”

Tortillas are mostly made with white corn, most of which is domestic production. The country imports about $5 billion in corn from the United States each year, most of it yellow GM corn for livestock feed.

The trade dispute escalated last week after technical consultations in March and dispute settlement consultations in June did not resolve the differences. The United States contends Mexico’s biotechnology polices are not based on science and will disrupt US trade with Mexico.

Mexico counters that its policy is based on science and said it has asked the United States to work with it on scientific research on the health impacts of GM corn, but the United States has refused.