On Monday Mexico announced via decree that it has done away with a deadline to ban GMO corn for animal feed and manufactured products.
The Mexican government has softened its stance on genetically modified US corn after pressure from the Biden administration and push back from U.S. commodity groups who have voiced concerns that the ban would violate the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement.
Iowa Corn Growers Association chair Lance Lillibridge says that while Mexico has done away with a target date for the ban, it is not completely off the table.
Mexico is the biggest export market for U.S. corn with the nation purchasing about $3 billion dollars of U.S. corn annually.
Lillibridge says that taking the ban implementation date off the table for now is good news for Iowa farmers.
Previous decrees from the Mexican government had signaled a target date of 2024 or 2025 for a ban of all imported GMO corn which gave worry to U.S. farmers who feared that their biggest export market could soon be off the table.
Mexico?s new decree still states that the country will enact ?the gradual substitution? of genetically modified feed corn but did not set a target date for the ban to be in place.
Mexico still plans to ban the import of genetically modified corn for direct human consumption. Mexico imports less U.S. white corn which is eaten fresh and also made into white corn tortilla flour.
