For more than five years, the U.S. Grains Council has led efforts to defend the most important market for U.S. corn, Mexico, against regulatory measures that threatened to restrict genetically modified (GM) corn imports.
In 2023, Mexico enacted a presidential decree that aimed to gradually ban GM corn for human consumption, citing non-scientific precautionary principles. The U.S. and Canada jointly challenged the decree through the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) dispute settlement process. On December 20, 2024, the panel ruled in favor of the U.S., concluding that Mexico’s measures were not based on science and violated USMCA commitments.
This important result marked a major win for fair trade and for the Council’s ongoing efforts to keep the Mexican market open. On February 6, 2025, Mexico officially repealed the GM corn restrictions, including the substitution clause, and revoked Articles Six, Section II, Seven, and Eight of the 2023 decree. Thanks to this outcome, U.S. corn exports to Mexico continued without interruption and reached a record 23.5 million metric tons during MY 2023/24.
From 2022 to 2024, the Council implemented a broad strategy to push back against the GM corn restrictions and rising resistance toward agricultural biotechnology. The Council worked closely with CANAMI (National Chamber of Industrialized Corn), MAIZALL (International Maize Alliance) and national feed industry stakeholders to speak with one voice to Mexican officials, highlighting the lack of scientific support for the decree and the economic harm it could cause. At the same time, the Council collaborated with academic institutions like IPADE Business School and private sector leaders to strengthen advocacy efforts.
The Council also expanded its outreach programs, offering biotech seminars to “key Morena electorate” like produce and grain farmers, agricultural students and feed industry professionals across Mexico. These efforts helped increase public understanding of biotechnology’s safety. The Council has created a growing network of local voices, technical experts, producers and researchers, who challenged the decree’s impact and have diverse platforms to publicly advocate for biotech access.
To support the case further, CropLife International, through PROCCYT, released an economic study in early 2024. The report projected that corn production in Mexico could fall by 37.3% and prices could rise by 84.8% if GM and pesticide restrictions were fully enforced. These findings added urgency to the debate and helped demonstrate the real risks to food security and affordability.
The positive panel resolution of the USMCA dispute is a clear success, defending a $5 billion export market, promoting science-based policymaking and ensuring food security.
With the $320,000 MAP investment, the Council achieved a ROI, preserving ~$15,625 in market value per $1 MAP funds invested.
Under President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration, the Council will monitor policy developments and deepen engagement with Mexican partners to ensure science and cooperation guide future trade decisions, safeguarding U.S. corn exports for years to come.