(Reuters) — Canada said it will participate as a third party in the dispute settlement proceedings between the United States and Mexico regarding genetically modified corn in imported tortillas and dough, citing concerns about Mexico’s stance.
The Aug. 25 decision follows Washington’s request for a dispute settlement panel through the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which escalated its objections to the restrictions imposed by Mexico on imports of GM corn.
Mexico in mid-February modified 2020 ban on GM corn, allowing its use in animal feed and industrial food, but maintained a ban on GM corn for human consumption, specifically used in making flour for tortillas, which is a staple of the Mexican diet.
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Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng and Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay said in a statement that Canada “shares the concerns” of the U.S. that Mexico is not compliant “with the science and risk analysis obligations” under USMCA’s sanitary and phytosanitary measures chapter.
“Canada believes that these measures are not scientifically supported and have the potential to unnecessarily disrupt trade in the North American market,” the statement said.
Mexican economy minister Raquel Buenrostro said her country would not modify the decree on GM corn ahead of the trade panel because Mexico’s policy is based on science.
Tortillas in Mexico are made with non-GM white corn, in which it is self-sufficient, but the country imports corn worth about US$5 billion annually from the U.S., most of it yellow GM grain for livestock feed.
The USMCA panel was announced after the failure of formal consultations to resolve deep differences between the two trading partners over GM corn.
