Mexico willing to go to formal dispute settlement panel over GMO corn ban

By Murphy Woodhouse

Mexico’s president says he’s willing to take a disagreement over his proposed GMO corn-import ban all the way to a trade dispute panel.

On Monday, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack met with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, whose proposed phase out of GMO corn imports by 2024 was a key topic of conversation.

In a statement, Vilsack said the import ban would be harmful to Mexican consumers and farmers on both sides of the border, and that — absent a resolution of the conflict — the U.S. would take action as allowed by the USMCA trade deal.

López Obrador said Tuesday that he made clear that no GMO corn imports for human consumption would be permitted under his proposal, though exceptions could be made for animal feed. While he’s hopeful an agreement can be reached, he said his government is willing to defend its position in a USMCA dispute settlement panel.