Following representations made by corn importers, scientists and economists in Mexico and hard talk from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack and U.S.T.R. Ambassador Katherine Tai, it the intended ban on GM corn and on the use of glyphosate is off the table for 2024.  As a face-saving gesture, the transition will be delayed until 2025 and in all probability, will never occur.

Mexico imports 17 million metric tons of corn from the U.S. of which 2.5 tons is white corn, consumed directly as food.  Yellow corn, that comprises the bulk of imports is almost entirely GM in origin, and is incorporated in hog and poultry feed.

The proposed ban emerged as a shock 2021 announcement by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO). A populist in character, the decree revealed his lack of scientific knowledge, impulsiveness, misinformation by a narrow group of advisors and reflected his authoritarian style.  Obviously, the practical and economic consequences of the decree were not considered.  Mexico would be unable to import adequate quantities of non-GM corn or crops produced without the use of glyphosate. Any available corn on world markets would have been at a far higher price than corn imported from the U.S.

It is obvious that senior members of the AMLO Administration are walking back the presidential decree.  Minister of the Economy, Raquel Buenrostro, who has met with Ambassador Tai, confirmed that the proposal would be “made clearer” and delayed until 2025.

The U.S. justifiably maintains that imposing a ban on GM corn or any other commodity would be in contravention of the USMCA and would have obvious trade and economic consequences.