The United States and Mexico have not yet reached an agreement on future U.S. corn corn exports to Mexico following their talks late last week.
According to Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico and the US are aiming for an agreement in January that should clarify this.
Last year, Mexico decided to ban imports of both genetically modified corn and glyphosate from 2024ieden. The United States calls this in violation of the USMCA trade agreement with Mexico and Canada.
With an import volume of about 17 million tons per year, Mexico is one of the largest buyers of US maize.
US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said the United States is prepared to take legal action against Mexico if necessary if the country is not willing to reconsider its decision to import genetically modified corn. He warned Mexico that such a case would lead to an escalation of trade disputes between the two countries.
Vilsack also said the United States is ready to negotiate a solution. According to American media, Mexico would be willing to extend the ban a year later, and to partially compensate the American grain farmers.
The ban on the import of genetically modified maize will have major consequences for the agricultural sector in the United States. American farmers are largely dependent on exports to Mexico for their exports.
The United States has pushed for a review of the Mexican decision. The Mexican negotiating delegation is expected to return to Washington in January.