MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico and the United States objective to reach an arrangement in January over a pending Mexican restriction on imports of genetically customized (GM) corn, the Mexican foreign ministry stated on Friday after authorities from the 2 nations held talks in Washington.
In a declaration, the ministry stated talks would continue in the meantime as the 2 sides worked to reach a “good understanding” that offers “legal certainty to all celebrations.”
Mexico has a questionable governmental decree that is set to prohibit GM corn and the herbicide glyphosate in 2024.
U.S. authorities have actually threatened to do something about it under the United States-Mexico-Canada Arrangement (USMCA), arguing that the decree will damage U.S. farmers.
” The Mexican delegation provided some prospective modifications to the decree in an effort to resolve our issues,” U.S. Department of Farming Secretary Tom Vilsack and United States Trade Agent Katherine Tai stated in a joint declaration launched on Friday afternoon.
” We accepted examine their proposition carefully and follow up with concerns or issues in brief order,” they stated.
Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard informed press reporters the 2 sides were intending to reach an arrangement by the end of January.
Mexico, which imports about 17 million tonnes of U.S. corn a year, has stated the decree concentrates on corn for human intake which GM yellow corn for animal feed would be allowed.
Mexican authorities, nevertheless, have yet to reveal official adjustments to the decree.
Mexico’s health regulator COFEPRIS has actually not licensed brand-new stress of glyphosate-resistant GM corn seeds for import because 2018.
Biotechnology Development Company (BIO), a market group representing biotech business consisting of Bayer, stated Friday it would prompt the U.S. federal government to start taking enforcement action over Mexico’s treatment of farming biotechnology need to the nation fall brief of conference “the dedications under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Arrangement”.
(Reporting by Valentine Hilaire, with extra reporting by Tom Polansek and Kylie Madry; composing by Cassandra Fort and P.J. Huffstutter; Modifying by Cynthia Osterman and Marguerita Choy)
