Mexico has recently faced criticism from the United States over its use of transgenic corn. The US argues that Mexico’s legal arguments against the use of genetically modified crops are not based on relevant international standards, science, or the T-MEC laws. In response, Mexico made modifications to its decree, allowing for the use of transgenic corn as fodder and food production for animals but maintaining the ban on products for human consumption such as tortillas.
The US claims that genetically modified crops have been considered safe for consumption by humans, animals, and plants by the international scientific community for years. However, Mexico decided to ban them without any scientific basis. According to recent data, Mexico buys approximately $5 billion worth of corn annually from the United States, mostly transgenic yellow grain for livestock. The US responded to Mexico’s defense by pointing out that Mexico’s approach is vague and imprecise in identifying risks associated with genetically modified corn consumption.
Furthermore, the US argued that Mexico’s alleged measures have commercial effects, citing a significant decrease in white corn exports from the US to Mexico following the implementation of the Corn Act 2023. The US argues that Mexico’s actions constitute arbitrary discrimination between countries and have impacted trade relations between the two nations. As a result of this dispute, a formal arbitration process has been set up to return a preliminary verdict in September and a final verdict in November.