Mexico has confirmed that the country does not plan to amend its ban on imports of GMO that is set to start in 2024. Mexico’s Deputy Ag Minister says the country is on track to cut is imports of U.S. yellow corn by half through increased domestic production. Mexico is a top customer for U.S. corn, accounting for 20 to 25% of U.S. corn exports annually. So, this is a huge issue.

Mexico is back tracking on their reassurances made a year ago that they would not limit imports of GMO corn from the U.S. Instead, they say they’ll make direct deals with farmers in the U.S, Argentina and Brazil who produce non-GMO corn to supply their need outside of domestic production. However, market experts say this is simply not doable.

Rich Nelson, with Allendale, “We’ve heard this story for the past two years. We all understand from the U.S. grain market perspective we simply don’t think it’s going to be realistic. Mexico gets about 90 to 92% of its corn from the U.S., 15 million ton annually and it our GMO corn that’s about 92% of our product.”