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U.S. rejects Mexico’s compromise on GM corn ban

US officials have rejected Mexico’s proposed compromise on biotech corn imports after a series of meetings in the country on Monday.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced in late 2020 that he would implement a decree banning biotech corn into the country beginning in 2024.

A statement from the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office and USDA on Monday said the changes offered by the Mexican government threaten to disrupt billions of dollars in trade.

Tom Haag, President of the National Corn Growers Association, praised the Biden administration for holding its ground in the negotiations.

“We’re not going to give up,” he said. “We are going to stay strong on our beliefs. Now that has carried through to Ambassador (Katherine) Tai, and now the administration is also behind everything here with what’s going on. That’s a huge plus for corn farmers.”

Haag tells Brownfield the US is considering all options, including taking formal steps under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

“We all have rules that we have to abide by,” he said. “That’s one thing we wanted to make sure was that these trade rules were in effect, and if they were going to not go by them that there could be issues in court.”

US officials say Mexico’s proposal is not grounded in science and would harm US farmers and Mexican livestock producers.

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