During a U.S. congressional hearing that took place on Feb. 1 to address the new 2023 Farm Bill, four legislators identified Mexico’s proposed ban on GMO crops as a direct threat to U.S. corn exports.
Ernst noted that the restriction could cost the U.S. economy more than $74 billion in economic output over a 10-year period, noting that Obrador’s biotech decree would “ban much of Iowa’s corn.”
Marshall pointed out that under Biden, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) activated dispute resolution systems six times over Mexican labor conditions. However, the administration hadn’t once called upon the measure over Mexico’s plan to exclude U.S. corn exports.
During the hearing, Marshall told Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Alexis Taylor, “Our farmers feel like this administration is putting Mexican assembly workers ahead of [U.S.] farmers.”
After a meeting in November 2022 between Obrador and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Mexican Economic Minister Raquel Buenrostro clarified the ban would apply primarily to GMO corn used for human consumption.
“If the entire world is making an energy transition to renewable energy, why not make a food transition to healthier foods?” Buenrostro said in a statement.
After the meeting with Vilsack, Obrador proposed a one-year delay of the GMO corn ban to make the transition easier for both countries. If approved, U.S. corn exports wouldn’t be affected until 2025.
In the congressional session, Thune said Mexico’s looming restriction could “threaten food security” and stifle agricultural “biotech innovations” that would benefit both nations. He urged Taylor and the USDA to hold Mexico accountable for its trade obligations as outlined by the USMCA.
When pressed by Marshall whether she felt Obrador’s ban lived up to the standards outlined in the USMCA, Taylor replied, “We do not.”
Grassley added his voice, saying he was concerned the decree isn’t being met with urgency by the current administration.
“Why hasn’t the Biden administration established a dispute settlement process under the USMCA panel with Mexico?” he asked.
Taylor responded to the intense line of questioning by highlighting the need to expand international export diversity.
“We appreciate the potential impact it can have on corn growers in the United States,” she said.
The office for the USMCA was unable to respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment by press time.