US piling pressure on Mexico to reverse agricultural policy
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The US government is escalating attempts to challenge Mexico's genetically modified corn restrictions by proposing a dispute resolution panel, triggering a clash over food sovereignty and trade interests between the two countries.
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View of different harvested corns at an organic corn field in Milpa Alta, in the state of Mexico, Mexico, on October 18, 2021. (AFP)
After more than two months of unsuccessful negotiations, the US government escalated its attempts to overturn Mexico's restrictions on genetically modified corn imports, Jessica Corbett wrote for Common Dreams.
This was achieved by proposing the establishment of a dispute resolution panel under a North American trade agreement on Thursday.
In 2020, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) announced intentions to phase out genetically modified (GM) corn and the herbicide glyphosate by January 2024, with the backing of agricultural, consumer, environmental, public health, and worker groups.
However, due to pressure from the US government and affected industries, AMLO issued a revised decree in February. This reaffirmed the plan to block GM corn imports for human consumption by the specified date, but extended the deadline for imports meant for livestock feed and industrial purposes.
The sentiment expressed was that "the Mexican government will show what has occurred: Its cherished tortillas are being contaminated with glyphosate and GM corn. And they intend to put a stop to that."
Even though AMLO's decision was seen as a compromise to US interests and lobbying efforts, the Biden administration requested formal negotiations lasting 75 days in June. Following the conclusion of talks on Wednesday, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai confirmed the decision to form a panel under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
Katherine Tai said, "Through the USMCA dispute panel, we seek to resolve our concerns and help ensure consumers can continue to access safe and affordable food and agricultural products."
US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack claimed, "Mexico's approach to biotechnology is not based on science" and "the United States is continuing to exercise its rights under the USMCA to ensure that U.S. producers and exporters have full and fair access to the Mexican market."
The Mexican Ministry of Economy responded through a statement, asserting that "Mexico does not agree with the position of the United States" and "is prepared to defend the Mexican position before this international panel and demonstrate: 1) that the national regulation is consistent with the commitments signed in the treaty; and 2) that the challenged measures do not have commercial effects."
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Corn a key to Biden's reelection
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), a previous supporter of Mexico's endeavors to phase out GM corn and glyphosate, contested assertions made by US officials and agribusinesses regarding Mexican obligations under the treaty and the potential economic impacts of these policies.
Karen Hansen-Kuhn, Director of Trade and International Strategies at IATP, remarked, "U.S. agribusiness exporters, the biotech industry, and their allies in Congress are pushing this case, intent on compelling Mexico to accept U.S. exports without debate. It is an assault on Mexico's food sovereignty."
She stressed that "Trade rules should provide a forum to protect and advance rights, rather than block them."
In response, Hansen-Kuhn penned an op-ed on Mexico's rights under the USMCA, while Timothy A. Wise, Senior Advisor at ITAP, said that the "exaggerated claims of economic damage" that were based on flawed assumptions by US officials have become outdated due to the more recent presidential decree.
While disputes between the U.S. and Mexico, notably in the energy sector, have arisen, the focus has currently shifted to corn imports. Arturo Sarukhán, a former Mexican ambassador to the United States, noted on social media that "of the two consultation processes—energy and yellow corn—this is the one that is politically most relevant for the White House in 2024."
This significance stems from agricultural states like Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, which hold importance to Democratic US President Joe Biden's reelection bid, and a potential GOP nominee, potentially former President Donald Trump, who signed the USMCA.
