Latest News From Mexico

“Mexico’s decree, which runs counter to scientific findings and is in direct violation of USMCA, is negatively impacting American corn growers,” said Tom Haag, NCGA president.

In Mexico, corn is much more than a food crop—it's a key part of the country's heritage, culture and traditions. Mexico argues glyphosate and GMOs are dangerous to human health, and seeks alternative practices.

During a bilateral meeting on Thursday, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai discussed with Mexico's Secretary of Economy Tatiana Clouthier various issues concerning energy and biotech corn.

Representatives from the U.S., Mexico and Canada will meet in Cancun, Mexico this week to discuss a series of disputes, including Mexican energy and biotech policies and Canadian dairy barriers.

Mexico reached an agreement with food manufacturers to use only non-GMO corn in tortilla production across the country. The government says it plans to implement new import tariffs on white corn imports.

Over the 29 years of free trade, U.S. ag exports to Mexico increased both in terms of volume and value, although there were some years where growth was not positive.

“We fundamentally disagree with the position Mexico has taken on the issue of biotechnology, which has been proven to be safe for decades,” said Tom Vilsack, USDA secretary.

Mexico claims because it is self-sufficient in GMO corn for food, it has not violated any trade agreements. Given the firm stances of both countries, it appears this situation will lead to a USMCA dispute settlement.

It may seem like years ago, but it was just this past June when farmers reported selling $8 cash corn and $18 cash soybeans. Today, cash prices look much different–hovering around $5.50 for corn and $13 for soybeans.

According to researchers at Ohio State University, most U.S. states will experience a “limited effect” of the dispute in the short term. But the long-term could significantly impact states such as Illinois.

The U.S. and Mexican governments will initiate consultations under USMCA to attempt to resolve disagreements over a Mexican decree limiting imports of corn with biotech traits.

By requesting consultations, the U.S. Trade Representative began a process to come to a settlement on ag biotechnology imports to Mexico. If a settlement is not reached, the issue will move to a full-blown trade dispute.

Mexico is accusing the U.S. of playing politics over the GMO corn issue, but NCGA CEO Neil Caskey says if Mexico wants non-GMO, they'll need to pay a premium for it instead of violating a trade pact already in place. 

The U.S. appears to be pursuing a case via USMCA on the matter: “That is going to happen, because we're essentially in a circumstance where this is not a situation that lends itself to a compromise,” Vilsack said.

Mexico on Monday announced a new decree, effectively banning imports of GMO corn. Following the declaration, Mexico quickly softened it's stance after facing backlash from the Biden administration.

Mexico's new decree will indicate that if U.S. GMO corn passes the sanitary filters of the Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris), it will have no problem entering Mexico.

“With 90% of corn acreage in the U.S. being planted to biotech seeds and Mexico being the number one purchaser of U.S. corn, I'm concerned this decree is not being met with urgency it deserves,” said Sen. Grassley.

While Mexico wants to reduce its imports of corn by 30% to 40% by 2024, Mexico's Deputy Ag Minister Victor Suarez told reporters that it cannot replace its imports of U.S. corn for livestock feed.

U.S. officials told Mexico its approach on biotech crops are still “not grounded in science," and will face a USMCA battle if the matter is not resolved.

Mexico and Canada had challenged the U.S. method for calculating the regional content required under the USMCA trade pact for cars to have tariff-free access to the U.S.

Mexican President López Obrador hosted President Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau this week to discuss everything from methane reduction to the U.S./Mexico border wall.

The prospect of Title 42 ending prompted crowds to form on the Mexican side of the border of the U.S. as they awaited to cross the border.

Minister Victor Villalobos said U.S. officials were satisfied with a proposal to delay a ban on the import of GMO corn until 2025, according to a published report.

"We agreed to review their proposal closely and follow up with questions or concerns," said Tai and Vilsack in a joint statement.

NCGA and presidents of 23 state grower organizations are adding their voices to a growing list who want the Biden administration to deal with Mexico’s coming ban (starting in 2025) on imports of GMO corn.

Mexican Secretary of Economy Raquel Buenrostro told reporters in Mexico Wednesday the decree to bar imports of GMO crops into Mexico will be pushed back to 2025.

Vilsack urged Mexico to "find a way forward" and said that if Mexico's plans went unchanged, the U.S. government would be forced to consider all options, including legal action under the USMCA.

Mexico says it is on track to halve its U.S. imports of yellow corn and will look to make direct deals with farmers in the U.S., Argentina and Brazil who produce non-GMO corn to secure the remaining supplies.

“We have tried to work constructively with the Mexican government to address these concerns, but, unfortunately, U.S. companies continue to face unfair treatment in Mexico," said Ambassador Tai.

U.S. ag exports to Mexico busted all-time records in 2021. "A recovery from 2020 pandemic lockdowns and high global commodity prices helped values, as well as quantity, increase in 2021," the USDA reports.

The USDA announced Feb. 18 that its avocado inspection program in Michoacan, Mexico has restarted and avocado exports to the U.S. have resumed.

Bayer is evaluating its legal options after Mexican health regulators for the first time rejected a GMO corn permit it was seeking, blasting the decision as "unscientific."

The long-standing but sometimes tenuous U.S.-Mexico trade relationship was the focal point of an April 21 session of the Fresh Produce Association’s virtual Spring Policy Summit.

The Florida Tomato Exchange is keeping tabs on Mexican tomato imports through a new website, TomatoMonitor.com.

The Food and Drug Administration and its counterparts in Mexico are taking steps to strengthen collaboration on food safety, from outbreak investigations to training and outbreak prevention measures.

More than 960 groups representing the U.S. food and agriculture value chain at the national, state and local are urging Congress to quickly ratify the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

“Friday was a big day for us in the beef business,” said Colin Woodall, vice president of regulatory affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, told AgriTalk host Chip Flory on Monday.

U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Dan Halstrom will be addressing participants at the National Pork Industry Forum on Thursday, March 7.

Beef producing countries like Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Mexico are gaining greater access into Japan thanks to lowered tariffs, giving those exporters a significant advantage over U.S. beef producers.

The proposed border wall between Mexico and the United States threatens to cut through a ranch that has belonged to the Cavazos family for 250 years.

Despite trade obstacles, the U.S. pork industry will vigorously defend its share of Mexico's growing pork market and continue to pursue new opportunities for U.S. pork products in Mexico.

Lawmakers are concerned President Trump’s proposed tariffs on foreign cars under Section 232 could instigate retaliatory trade actions aimed at farmers.

Paul Ryan says he needs notice of a NAFTA deal by May 17 if the current Congress is going to be able to vote on it, suggesting talks are pushing up against the constraints of American trade law.

A deal on a new NAFTA is close at hand but talks to arrive at a finishing point are not easy, top Mexican officials said on Thursday as ministers met in Washington for a third successive day.

What happens if NAFTA renegotiations fail? Mexico is trying to get their ducks in a row.

President Donald Trump said the U.S. won’t lower tariffs on steel and aluminum from Mexico and Canada unless the two countries agree to a revamped Nafta that’s fair to the U.S.

President Donald Trump risks triggering a “depression” in the nation’s rural areas if he withdraws from NAFTA, Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley said in Feb 2018.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto plan to meet in the coming weeks to review advances in trade talks.

Critics say the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's plan to restore the Mexican wolf in Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico by 2043, is flawed and are suing to reverse the plan.