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Ernst, producers say Mexico’s GMO corn ban needs to be blocked

Members of the ag industry are encouraged by U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai’s plans to request a dispute resolution to block Mexico’s ban on GMO corn.

U.S. Senator Joni Ernst tells Brownfield this action was a long time coming. “Finally,” Ernst said. “I have been pushing since last November for the (USTR) to take action on this. It has taken almost a year.”

The Iowa Republican says the U.S. must hold Mexico accountable to their science-based commitment.

Northwest Iowa farmer Kelly Nieuwenhuis says Mexico needs to honor its trade agreement with the U.S. “We need to fix this and get it cleaned up,” Nieuwenhuis said. “Right now, what’s going on in Mexico is breaking the USMCA trade agreement.”

Southwest Iowa farmer Duane Aistrope says cost of production is higher and the last thing producers need is uncertainty about the top export market for U.S. corn. “I feel that it’s a step in the right direction because farmers are going to need to know here pretty soon about the white corn and what they need to plant and what not to plant.”

In a news conference on Friday, Mexico’s president said it’s good that the U.S. is challenging the country’s decree, because this will allow Mexico to present evidence and make proposals regarding the use of GMO corn. The president maintained that the country is not violating the trade agreement and, when there are differences between Mexico, the United States and Canada, the panels are a stipulated solution aimed at providing certainty to all parties.