WORLD NEWS | Canada joins US in hearing on trade dispute over Mexico’s proposed GM corn ban

MEXICO CITY, June 10 (AP) – Canada said Friday it will join a trade dispute panel that the United States has requested over Mexico’s proposed restrictions on imports of genetically modified corn.

The U.S. government called for a formal start of the dispute process on June 2 after talks with the Mexican government failed to produce results.

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The panel will have about half a year to study the complaint and issue its findings. Trade sanctions could follow if Mexico is found to have violated the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement.

Mexico wants to ban genetically modified corn for human consumption and possibly eventually animal feed, which its northern partners have said would harm trade and violate the USMCA’s requirement that any health or safety standards be based on scientific evidence.

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“Canada shares the United States’ concerns that Mexico’s measures are not scientifically based and have the potential to unnecessarily disrupt trade in North American markets,” Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada said in a statement.

Mexico is a major importer of U.S. yellow corn, most of which is genetically modified.

In Mexico, where nearly all corn is fed to cows, pigs and chickens, not enough feed corn is grown there. Corn used for human consumption in Mexico is almost exclusively domestically grown white corn, although corn flakes or other processed products may contain genetically modified corn.

Mexico believes that GM corn may have health effects, even when used as feed, but has not yet provided evidence.

Mexico had previously appeared eager to avoid a major showdown with the U.S. over corn — but not yet to drop any talk of a ban entirely.

In February, the Mexican Ministry of Economy issued new regulations that removed the date for substitution of imported GM corn for feed.

Some U.S. growers fear a ban on GM feed corn could come in as early as 2024 or 2025, under previous versions of the rules.

While the date was dropped, rules on an eventual replacement for genetically modified corn remain in place, which could lead to a spike in meat prices in Mexico, where inflation is already high.

U.S. farmers fear U.S. corn could lose its largest single export market. Mexico has been importing genetically modified corn feed from the United States for years, buying about $3 billion a year.

The new rules still said Mexican authorities would “gradually replace” genetically modified feed and ground corn, but did not set a specific date, and said potential health problems would be the subject of study by Mexican experts “in conjunction with other national health authorities.”

“With regard to the use of genetically modified corn for animal feed and industrial use, the date of the ban has been lifted,” the economy ministry said in February. “Working groups will be established with the domestic and international private sector to achieve an orderly transition.”

Mexico, where corn was first domesticated some 9,000 years ago, will still ban the import of genetically modified corn seeds to protect its native varieties. (AP)

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