Illinois Congress members call for USMCA action on Mexico GMO corn ban

A bipartisan group of five federal lawmakers from Illinois is calling on the Biden administration’s top ag trade officials to bring a formal challenge against Mexico for its ban on imports of genetically engineered corn grown in the U.S.

In a letter sent March 1 to U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Katherine Tai and USTR Chief Agricultural Negotiator Doug McKalip, the lawmakers detailed how the ban would impact Illinois farmers if the Biden administration fails to act on it via the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

The letter was signed by U.S. Reps. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield; Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro; Bill Foster, D-Naperville; Darin LaHood, R-Dunlap; and Mary Miller, R-Oakland.

“While substantial progress has been made, we remain concerned that Mexico’s unscientific approach to GM corn would severely impact our local farmers and set a harmful precedent,” the members wrote. “Mexico’s failure to live up to its transnational commitments would negatively impact the Illinois corn industry and we urge you to take every step necessary to resolve this situation amicably.”

The letter comes two weeks after Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in mid-February issued a revised decree to ban glyphosate and genetically modified white corn used in human food, while allowing transgenic yellow corn for feed and industrial uses.

That policy, which ostensibly is currently in effect, replaced a previous decree the Mexican government first issued in 2020 that would have imposed a ban on U.S. imports of GMO white and yellow corn by 2024.

Biden administration officials have said they will not compromise on the policy because it lacks scientific basis, and that they intend to pursue a policy solution.

The U.S. is Mexico’s primary supplier of feed corn — nearly all of it is genetically modified — and in 2022 exported 15.4 million metric tons of corn to the country, according to USDA data. Annual white corn imports into Mexico total around 1.6 million tons.

Illinois is the second-largest grower of yellow corn and some farmers here do raise white corn, although most production of that crop is concentrated in Nebraska and Texas.

“Mexico’s plan to impose an import ban can have long-term detrimental effects to local economies, family farmers and the corn industry here in Illinois,” lawmakers wrote. “We urge you to use your full authority and USMCA’s enforcement mechanisms to come to an agreement as soon as possible. Inability to do so will cause grave concern among our constituents.”