Mexico City — The government of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador estimates that it will be until 2024 when there will be a ruling by the dispute settlement panel that the United States has requested be set up on Mexico’s stance toward genetically modified (GM) corn.
US Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced Thursday that President Joe Biden’s administration is establishing a dispute settlement panel under the Mexico-US-Canada free trade agreement (USMCA), with respect to certain Mexican measures related to GM corn.
“The United States has used the tools provided by the USMCA in attempting to resolve concerns with Mexico’s biotechnology measures. Today, the United States is taking the next step in enforcing Mexico’s obligations under the USMCA,” Katherine Tai said in a statement published on the office of the trade representative’s website.
“Through the USMCA dispute panel, we seek to resolve our concerns and help ensure consumers can continue to access safe and affordable food and agricultural products. It is critical that Mexico eliminate its USMCA-inconsistent biotechnology measures so that American farmers can continue to access the Mexican market and use innovative tools to respond to climate and food security challenges. Our bilateral relationship with Mexico, one of our oldest and strongest trading partners, is rooted in trust and honesty, and there are many areas where we will continue to cooperate and work together.”
Mexico’s Economy Minister Raquel Buenrostro has received the US request to establish the arbitration panel under the trade agreement and said it will defend Mexico’s position.
The United States challenged the measures set forth in Mexico’s February 13, 2023 decree, specifically the ban on the use of GM corn in tortillas or dough, and the instruction to Mexican government agencies to gradually replace - that is, ban - the use of GM corn in all products for human consumption and animal feed.
From Washington’s point of view, Mexico’s measures are not based on science and undermine the market access it agreed to provide under the USMCA.
Mexico’s economy ministry stated that it is prepared to defend Mexico’s position before this international panel and demonstrate that the national regulation is consistent with the commitments subscribed to in the treaty, and that the challenged measures do not affect trade.
The ministry said that Mexico’s defense will be supported by various federal government agencies with competence in the matter, such as the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources, the National Council of Humanities, Sciences and Technologies (Conahcyt) and the Federal Commission for the Protection against Health Risks (Cofepris).
The ministry excluded the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock from the statement as part of Mexico’s defense. The ministry indicated that the next procedural stage will be the appointment of the members of the panel and, subsequently, such panelists must issue a procedural calendar.
According to the deadlines set forth in the USMCA, it is estimated that the panel’s decision may be announced in the course of 2024.