USTR and USDA urged to engage with new Mexican administration on trade, GM corn

A letter sent Oct. 1 from 21 bipartisan members of Congress to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urged the administration “to engage with the incoming administration in Mexico to address ongoing trade disputes under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), including Mexico’s ban on genetically modified (GM) corn.”

Reps. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) and Dan Kildee (D-Mich.), both members of the House Ways and Means Committee, led the effort, which NGFA strongly supports.

As noted in the letter, Mexico is the United States’ second-largest agricultural export market, having imported $28.64 billion of U.S. agricultural commodities in 2023 alone. The largest export to Mexico that year was corn, with a total value of more than $5 billion.

The signers urged the administration “to continue engaging with your Mexican counterparts to address current trade barriers, including Mexico’s ban on GM corn, as President Sheinbaum takes office. Additionally, we request a briefing from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on the status of the GM corn dispute consultation with the Mexican government, any changes or developments you anticipate for our trading relationship under Mexico’s new President—particularly as it relates to the USMCA review in 2026—and how you plan to work with the new administration to remove Mexico’s ban on biotech corn.”

The USMCA expires July 1, 2036, unless each party—the U.S., Mexico, and Canada—agrees to extend the agreement for another 16-year term. The first formal review will occur in 2026. The review clause stipulates that the three countries must confirm in writing whether or not to continue the agreement. Should any original signer decline to do so in 2026 or subsequent reviews before July 1, 2036, the USMCA will terminate.