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Canada joins U.S. in trade dispute hearings over proposed ban on GM corn in Mexico

Canada is making its position in a long, ongoing trade dispute between the U.S. and Mexico official.

Canada stated on June 9 that it will join a trade dispute panel requested by the U.S. over Mexico’s proposed limits on imports of genetically modified (GM) corn. The dispute has been simmering since Mexico first made its position known in 2020, but officially escalated to a formal dispute process on June 2 after direct talks brought no results.

The panel is expected to take about half a year to compile and release findings. If Mexico is found to have violated USMCA, trade sanctions could be imposed on Mexico.

Mexico first published a presidential decree on GM corn in late 2020, saying it would ban GM corn in the diets of Mexicans and end the use of the herbicide glyphosate by early 2024. This past February, Mexico issued new rules that dropped the date for substituting imports of GM animal feed corn.

“Canada shares the concerns of the U.S. that Mexico’s measures are not scientifically supported and have the potential to unnecessarily disrupt trade in the North American market,” Canada’s Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-Food said in a statement.