Did you know that in Mexico transgenic corn is prohibited for human consumption (what if the dough, what if the tortilla)? In February 2023, the AMLO government published a decree on genetically modified corn, and this decision raised eyebrows in the United States.
In fact, since before the decree was published, The United States asked the Mexa government to explain what waveWhy did you make this decision and based on what information?
All about the T-MEC and because the United States exports corn to Mexico. However, the matter did not reach that point and now, with an official decree, the Office of the Gabacha Commercial Representative (USTR) filed an application to carry out technical consultations on the regulation of transgenic maize.
The ban on transgenic corn in Mexico and the reaction of the United States
What did Mexico do?
What the AMLO government has explained is that they specified before the Law some inaccuracies about transgenic corn for human consumption.
(There’s also something about glyphosate, the herbicide used for the field and whose purchase, sale, distribution and promotion within the government is prohibited).
Basically what this decree did was ban GM corn for people’s consumption, although the deadline to stop using transgenic seed for fodder and industry flew by – which was established in January 2025.
America’s response
This decree has an impact on our country’s trade relations with others, such as the United States, in context of the famous USMCA.
And all because Mexico is the main buyer of corn from the United States —although here there is self-sufficiency in the production of white corn.
Total that the United States requested a first rapprochement with the AMLO government before the decree was published in the DOF (Official Gazette of the Federation) and… now it has returned to carry out technical consultations.
What are technical inquiries about?
Are the meetings in terms Light, so to speak, among the representatives of the governments that signed the USMCA to discuss their doubts regarding a specific issue.
In this case the ban on transgenic corn for human consumption —It is assumed that Cofepris is already aware of all this stuff, with the research to substantiate why the use of genetically modified corn causes damage to people’s health.
Eye, It is not yet a matter of entering an international dispute by the decision of the Mexican government, but if these meetings do not come to fruition, the matter could be brought before a group of independent experts and if the ruling goes against the Mexas, the United States could apply taxes to products made in Mexico.
But for that there is still a long way to go — and it would be an extreme situation. While the Ministry of Economy says it has everything under control and that is going to explain, once again, that one of the reasons for banning transgenic corn is the preservation of the elaboration of the Mexican tortilla with native corn.
And the conservation of the biodiversity of the more than 64 types of corn that exist in Mexico. As you can see? This is not the first time that the United States, in the context of the T-MEC, has asked Mexico what’s up with its decisions. It had already happened with the issue of clean energy.
