The US Trade Representative has requested dispute settlement consultations with Mexico under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) regarding certain Mexican measures concerning agricultural biotechnology products after formal consultations failed to resolve the matter (see AgbioNews Mar 7, 2023).

The consultations regard measures set out by Mexico, specifically banning the use of GM maize in tortillas or dough, and the instruction to Mexican government agencies to gradually substitute the use of GM maize in all products for human consumption and animal feed. The consultations also regard rejections of applications for authorisation covering the importation and sale of certain biotechnology products. The US believes Mexico’s measures are inconsistent with its obligations in the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures and Market Access chapters of the USMCA.