JOHNSTON, Iowa — In a major win for corn growers, a dispute panel ruled today that Mexico violated its commitments under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) when it issued a decree that banned genetically modified corn imports in early 2023.
The decision was met with praise from Iowa Corn Growers Association farmer members along with our fellow state and National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) corn farmers who had called on the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to file the dispute.
“Iowa’s farmers rely heavily on trade and corn exports to Mexico,” said Stu Swanson, Iowa Corn Growers Association President and farmer from Galt “That’s why we joined other state and NCGA grower leaders in pushing USTR to challenge this ban. Mexico is a key market for corn in all forms and it has been an important push to remove barriers to allow trade.”
Since the enactment of USMCA, the formation of dispute panels has been uncommon and must meet a high threshold of requirements. Now that a decision has been made, corn farmer leaders will work with USTR and the incoming administration to ensure the ruling is enforced.
The Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) is a 7,000-member strong grassroots-driven organization, headquartered in Johnston, Iowa, serving members across the state, and lobbying on agricultural issues on behalf of its farmer members to create opportunities for long-term Iowa corn grower profitability. For more information, visit iowacorn.org.
–Shannon Textor, Iowa Corn Growers Association
