In December 2024, the T-MEC Panel's ruling determined that the restrictions imposed by Mexico on genetically modified corn lacked scientific basis and violated the trade commitments of the treaty. As part of a strategy to promote food self-sufficiency and protect native corn varieties, former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador had pushed for a Decree in 2023 that prohibited the importation of this type of corn.
The measure was criticized by producers, industrialists, and trading partners, who argued that it violated the T-MEC. López Obrador justified this action as a way to protect native corn and the health of the population by avoiding agrochemicals. Mexico is the main importer of U.S. corn, purchasing more than 15 million tons of the product annually.
The T-MEC Panel's ruling goes into effect on February 6, marking a setback in the Mexican government's policy of restricting genetically modified corn. This measure had generated trade tensions with the United States, the main supplier of genetically modified corn.
In compliance with the T-MEC ruling, the Mexican government published an agreement in the Official Journal of the Federation that removes key provisions of the 2023 presidential Decree related to genetically modified corn. The agreement issued by the Ministry of Economy cancels articles that revoked authorizations for genetically modified corn intended for human consumption and promoted its replacement in the animal, industrial, and human consumption sectors.
