Mexico abandons plan to ban GM corn for animal feed and industrial use

The move, approved by a government decree, removes January 2024 as the date the country must ban the use of GM corn for animal feed and industrial use, the Economy Ministry said in a statement.

Amid a brewing dispute over a potential disruption to the billions of dollars of corn trade, US officials and farmers have called for clarity on a ban on GM corn entering Mexico. The country buys about 17 million tons of mostly GM yellow corn from the US every year, most of which is used as animal feed.

Mexico said it still plans to refrain from issuing new permits for GM corn for human consumption, which the decree defines as FLOUR, dough or tortillas made from grain. The decree says the ban does not apply to GM corn used in the industrial production of products such as cosmetics, textiles and paper.

Between 18% and 20% of the corn Mexico imports from the US is white corn, used in foods such as tortillas, according to industry experts.

According to the decree, the new measures come into force on Tuesday. A spokeswoman for the economy ministry did not immediately respond to a question about whether Mexico would start withdrawing permits for the use of GM corn for human consumption on Tuesday.

The decree also says that Mexico will revoke permits and permits to import, manufacture, distribute and use the herbicide glyphosate, a plan it has had since the end of 2020. The transition period will be valid until March 31, 2024.

The HEALTH authority COFEPRIS will be responsible for issuing permits for the use of GM corn as animal feed or in industrial production processes, subject to the availability of supplies.

Mexico and the US were at loggerheads over an initial 2020 executive order by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador that called for a phase-out of imports of GM corn and glyphosate by January 2024.

US officials have threatened to take action under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) over a possible disruption to the corn trade.

The new HEAD of U.S. agricultural trade told REUTERS last week that he had given Mexico until Feb. 14 to respond to a request to explain the scientific reasons behind Mexico's planned bans.

COFEPRIS will conduct scientific studies with colleagues from other countries to study the health effects of consuming GM corn, the decree says.