A retiring lawmaker from Wisconsin says he is working with the U.S. Trade Representative to get issues with Mexico resolved.
Congressman Ron Kind says he is actively working to resolve the ongoing issue as Mexico works to block biotech corn from the United States. Mexico is the largest export market for the U.S., and Congressman Kind says it should not be able to block imports based on bioengineering.
“This sanitary-phytosanitary standard is part of the new trade agreement that we have with Mexico. Any decision that they make has to be based on sound science and scientific evidence. They just can’t willy-nilly start blocking our products under some guise of bioengineering. And so, we’re trying to avoid a trade complaint, we have enforcement tools that are available, and we have to keep fighting hard to make sure that the good products that our family farmers are making here have access to these markets that are in compliance with the trade agreements.”
A new report by Reuters shows Mexico will cut U.S. imports of yellow corn in half and try to bridge the gap by producing their own. For any shortfalls, the country is now looking for deals directly with producers in the U.S., Argentina, and Brazil to grow non-GMO corn and sell it directly.
