Mexico City | Reuters — Mexico on Monday scrapped a deadline to ban genetically modified corn for animal feed and industrial use amid trade tensions with the United States — but retained plans to prohibit use of the GM grain for human consumption, as well as the herbicide glyphosate.
The move, approved in a government decree, eliminates January 2024 as the date for the country to forbid GM corn for animal feed and industrial use, a statement by the economy ministry said.
Amid a brewing dispute over the possible disruption of billions of dollars worth of corn trade, U.S. officials and farmers had called for clarity on the ban from Mexico. The latter buys about 17 million tonnes of mostly GM yellow corn from the U.S. annually, most of which is used for animal feed.
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Mexico said it still plans to revoke and refrain from granting new authorizations for GM corn for human consumption, which the decree defined as flour, dough or tortilla made from the grain. The ban does not apply to GM corn used in the industrial manufacturing of products like cosmetics, textiles and paper, the decree said.
About 18-20 per cent of the corn Mexico imports from the U.S. is white corn, used in food products like tortillas, according to sector experts.
Under the decree, the new measures were to take effect Tuesday. A spokeswoman for the economy ministry did not immediately respond to a question about whether Mexico would begin revoking authorizations of GM corn for human consumption on Tuesday.
The decree also said Mexico will revoke authorizations and permits to import, produce, distribute and use the herbicide glyphosate, a plan it has had since late 2020. A transition period would be in effect until March 31, 2024.
Health authority COFEPRIS will be responsible for authorizations of GM corn to be used as animal feed or in industrial manufacturing processes, subject to supply availability. It will also conduct scientific studies with counterparts from other countries to investigate the health impacts of consuming GM corn, Mexico’s decree added.
Mexico and the U.S. have been at loggerheads over an original decree issued by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in 2020 that sought to phase out imports of GM corn and glyphosate by January 2024.
U.S. officials have threatened to take action under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) over the potential disruption of the corn trade.
The new U.S. agriculture trade chief last week told Reuters that he had given Mexico until Feb. 14 to respond to a request to explain the science behind Mexico’s planned bans.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Tuesday the U.S. is “disappointed” in Monday’s announcement from Mexico. “The U.S. believes in and adheres to a science-based, rules-based trading system and remains committed to preventing disruptions to bilateral agricultural trade and economic harm to U.S. and Mexican producers.”
The National Corn Growers Association, a U.S. industry group, also expressed concern over Monday’s decree.
“Singling out corn — our No. 1 ag export to Mexico — and hastening an import ban on numerous food-grade uses makes (CUSMA) a dead letter unless it’s enforced,” said the group’s president, Tom Haag.
— Reporting for Reuters by Cassandra Garrison and Adriana Barrera in Mexico City, Leah Douglas and David Lawder in Washington and Julie Ingwersen in Chicago; writing by Valentine Hilaire.
