Mexico Refusing to Import US GM Corn Could Lead to a Bad Precedent

American Farm Bureau Federation, Senior Director of Government Affairs Dave Salmonsen says that without a scientific basis and a long history of importing genetically modified corn from the United States, Mexico is now refusing to buy white corn varieties in violation of the US-Mexico Canada agreement.

“At the urging of a lot of people in US agriculture. The Office, the US Trade Representative, just a few weeks ago started the case against Mexico, under the dispute settlement Proceedings of the US-Mexico Canada agreement, saying that this is basically this trade barrier. Post barrier violates the agreement, and that will proceed along its way that shear.”

Salmonsen says that Mexico was using health reasons as a reason for not wanting to continue to import GMO corn. However, he says politics appears to be a play.

“More about some internal politics in Mexico with their president than it is to do with any legitimate health or safety concern. I mean, we're talking about products that have been approved for a long, long time and have had no you know, issues of health or safety with them biotechnology and corn production.”

Salmonsen adds that trade disputes need to hold up science or it sets a bad precedent with other trade agreements around the world.