Mexico’s GMO Corn Debate Tabled Until 2025, According to Mexico

Minister Victor Villalobos said U.S. officials were satisfied with a proposal to delay a ban on the import of GMO corn until 2025, according to a published report.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador signed a decree in late 2020 to end imports of GMO corn by 2024. Ahead of a U.S./Mexico meeting last week, López Obrador reportedly offered to wait until 2025 to ban imports of yellow corn, used in livestock feed, which makes up bulk (around 80%) of U.S. corn shipments. White corn is used in making tortillas, an everyday food in Mexico.

“Our U.S. counterparts considered this response satisfactory,” said Villalobos at an event on Wednesday, Reuters reported. “We submitted a document for discussion, possible in the second half of January, where this issue will be definitively resolved.” The timeline for restrictions on corn imports could be adjusted again in the future depending on domestic production levels, he said.

As for USDA, it referred questioners to “the public statement following last week’s meeting with Mexican officials.” In a joint statement, U.S. trade representative Katherine Tai and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said the Mexican delegation had presented “some potential amendments” to the GMO corn decree on Friday.

“We agreed to review their proposal closely and follow up with questions or concerns in short order. There is a joint recognition that time is of the essence, and we must determine a path forward soon,” said USTR Katherine Tai and Vilsack.

Tags: corn, Mexico, USA