Following the 2020 Presidential Decree by Mexico banning GM corn for human consumption, the U.S. unsuccessfully attempted to resolve the issue by negotiation.  Failure to obtain concessions based on submission of scientific data, the U.S. requested a USMCA Dispute Panel to review and rule on the ban. 

At a recent meeting of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, U.S. Chief Agricultural Negotiator, Doug McKalip, stated, “This case is about a lot more than biotech corn.  It is about making sure that nations adhere to the provisions of the trade agreements they have already signed and making sure we stick to science as the underpinning of trade.”  At risk are exports of U.S. GM corn valued at $5 billion annually, mostly destined for livestock consumption.  White corn is used to prepare tortillas and other staples in the Mexican diet but is derived from non-GM corn.