Articles Tagged with ''USTR''

The Biden administration is demanding that Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador scientifically justify his decree that would ban genetically modified corn and the popular herbicide, glyphosate.

The U.S. and Mexico continue to engage over Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s threat to ban genetically modified corn imports, but there were strong signs from senators Wednesday that patience is wearing thin on Capitol Hill for a resolution.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced Tuesday that the U.S. is calling for a second dispute panel under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement to rule on its claims that Canada is unfairly manipulating its dairy quotas cut U.S. exporters access to key parts of the Canadian market.

The United States is consulting again with Canada over complaints that the country is manipulating its dairy import quotas and restricting access to its market, but U.S. senators are now demanding the Biden administration take the next step of calling for a second dispute panel under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. 

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Monday reinforced USDA's position that Mexico’s proposed restrictions on genetically modified corn would still break its commitments under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, despite Mexican proposals to soften the rules.

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack made it clear to reporters earlier this month that the U.S. is not satisfied with Mexico’s latest offer to compromise on its plan to restrict biotech corn imports, but the Biden administration has also sent that message to Mexico City as talks between the two countries continue, says Alexis Taylor, USDA’s undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs.

There aren’t any compromises that the Biden administration is willing to make when it comes to Mexico’s effort to curtail its imports of genetically modified corn from the U.S., says Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Alexis Taylor to be USDA’s undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs. 

A delegation of visiting Mexican government officials on Friday offered the Biden administration a possible compromise on its looming decree to ban genetically modified corn imports, including a proposal to delay implementation for a year until January, 2025, according to industry sources.