The United States has successfully resolved a critical trade dispute with Mexico under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), securing a victory for American agriculture. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced that an independent panel convened under USMCA rules unanimously sided with the U.S. on all seven legal claims related to Mexico’s restrictions on genetically engineered (GE) corn imports.
The panel found that Mexico’s measures banning U.S. GE corn were not supported by sound science and violated the market access commitments Mexico made under the trade pact. The ruling underscores the importance of science-based regulatory frameworks in ensuring fair and predictable trade.
“Mexico’s actions contradicted decades of evidence demonstrating the safety of agricultural biotechnology, which is upheld by rigorous, science-driven regulatory systems,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.
Under the terms of USMCA, Mexico now has 45 days from the issuance of the final report on December 20th to comply with the panel’s findings and align its policies with the agreement.
“This decision affirms our longstanding position that agricultural trade policies must be grounded in science and should not disrupt established trade flows,” stated USTR Chief Agricultural Negotiator Doug McKalip.
The dispute arose after Mexico announced restrictions on GE corn imports, citing concerns about environmental and health impacts despite extensive scientific evidence confirming the safety of these products. U.S. officials argued that Mexico’s actions violated both the letter and the spirit of USMCA, undermining the agreement’s goal of promoting science-based and transparent trade practices.
The decision is expected to provide relief to U.S. corn growers, who export billions of dollars of GE corn to Mexico annually. It also reinforces the importance of adhering to international trade agreements, particularly in a global economy reliant on collaboration and predictability.
Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet News Hour and The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.