May 19, 2024 | 23:25 GMT +7
May 19, 2024 | 23:25 GMT +7
Hotline: 0913.378.918
Canada said on Friday it will participate as a third party in the dispute settlement proceedings between the U.S. and Mexico regarding genetically modified (GM) corn in imported tortillas and dough, citing concerns about Mexico's stance on the matter.
The 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 an end-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 in the use of making flour for tortillas, which is a staple of the Mexican diet.
Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng and Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay said in a statement that the country "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.
Earlier this week, Mexican economy minister Raquel Buenrostro told Reuters her country would not modify the decree on GM corn ahead of the USMCA panel as 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 around $5 billion annually from the United States, 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.
(Reuters)
(VAN) The upcoming U.S. soybean harvest is expected to approach record levels, but exporters had sold practically none of it as of last week, a typical time when new-crop sales may start to roll in.
(VAN) Edible oil droplets trap bugs without the harm to people and wildlife that synthetic pesticides can cause.
(VAN) The Silks Hotel Group – Taiwan’s largest publicly-listed hotel group – has announced a cage-free sourcing policy.
(VAN) Director-General QU Dongyu spoke at the Business Federation of the G7 in Rome
(VAN) Pharmaceutical, manufacturing and big agriculture interests have spent more than $400 million lobbying Congress on a new farm bill, a new report has found.
(VAN) RSPCA Assured has further extended its current pause on the introduction of new standards for laying hens, pausing its rollout for 9 months.
(VAN) Plants adapt genetically over time to the special conditions of organic farming. This has been demonstrated in a long-term study conducted at the University of Bonn.