USTR Again Raises Ag Biotech, GMO Corn Issue with Mexico
Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Jayme White yesterday met with Mexico’s Under Secretary of Economy for Foreign Trade Alejandro Encinas in San Diego, and White called on Mexico to “return to a science- and risk-based regulatory approval process for all ag biotechnology products in Mexico.”
Mexico Official Admits Country Cannot Replace Imports of U.S. Corn
While Mexico wants to reduce its imports of corn by 30% to 40% by 2024, Deputy Agriculture Minister Victor Suarez told reporters in Mexico City that it cannot replace its imports of U.S. corn for livestock feed.
Read more: U.S. Officials Stress ‘Grave Concerns’ to Mexico Over GMO Corn
He declared the country self-sufficient in white corn production, but still highly dependent on the U.S. for yellow corn to feed livestock.
“We are not going to be able to produce another 16 million tonnes of corn, which is currently imported for the livestock sector,” Suarez said, adding the next government will have to address the issue as the country needs to “continue the strategy of saving small growers and food self-sufficiency.”
The leaders also discussed issues on Mexico’s energy policies that are under a U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) dispute process.
On the Canadian Front
White also met with Canada’s Deputy Minister for International Trade Rob Stewart where issues on Canada’s unilateral digital service tax and pending legislation in Canada could affect digital streaming services and online news sharing.
However, the dispute between the two countries over Canada’s implementation of its dairy tariff-rate quotas was not mentioned in the readout from the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR).
The three officials will take part today in a USMCA deputies meeting in San Diego.
The U.S. already won one case via USMCA dispute settlement procedures over Canada’s dairy TRQ implementation and has requested new consultations on Canada dairy TRQ allocation measures.
