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Vilsack stresses no compromise with Mexico on GM corn ban

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says the US will not compromise with Mexico over its proposed ban on biotech corn.

Mexico announced plans to ban certain GM products late in 2019 with implementation slated for January 2024.

“Ambassador (Katherine) Tai has had conversations recently with her counterpart,” he said. “The message is pretty simple. We believe in a science-based system.”

Speaking to reporters at the 2023 American Farm Bureau Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Vilsack says he told Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador the US could enforce its legal rights under the USMCA if an acceptable resolution cannot be found.

“He’s not going to be able to find enough non-GMO corn to feed the livestock that he has in Mexico today,” he said. “As I pointed out to him, you are faced with a circumstance where you’re going to have a smaller livestock operation, you are going to have shorter supplies, and higher prices for your consumers.”

Vilsack says the US Trade Representative’s Office has until January 15th to respond to Mexican officials. He says they will continue highlighting terms of the USMCA in their argument against a ban.