On Friday a trade dispute panel ruled that Mexico’s restrictions on U.S. exports of genetically modified corn violate the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The USMCA panel agreed with the United States on all seven legal claims, finding that Mexico’s measures are not based on science and undermine the market access that Mexico agreed to provide in the USMCA.
Agriculture industry groups and government officials celebrated the outcome in statements published reacting to the news.
“We commend the dispute settlement panel for its thorough and impartial assessment, which affirms that Mexico’s approach to biotechnology was not based on scientific principles or international standards. Mexico’s measures ran counter to decades’ worth of evidence demonstrating the safety of agricultural biotechnology, underpinned by science- and risk-based regulatory review systems,” said agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack.
“The panel’s ruling reaffirms the United States’ longstanding concerns about Mexico’s biotechnology policies and their detrimental impact on U.S. agricultural exports,” …