Mexico to import more corn

Mexico’s corn imports are forecast to climb to 18 million tonnes in marketing year 2023-24, up 5% from the previous year, owing to increased demand from the starch and animal feed sectors, according to a Global Agricultural Information Network report from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture. The increase comes on the heels of presidential decrees banning the use of biotech corn in tortilla and dough production and establishing an export tariff that impacted corn imports in 2022-23, which are estimated at 17.2 million tonnes, a drop of 2% year over year. On Feb. 13, Mexico published a presidential decree that includes an immediate prohibition on the use of biotech corn in Mexico’s dough and tortilla production. On June 2, the United States requested dispute settlement consultations with Mexico under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The presidential decree for a temporary 50% tariff on Mexico’s white corn exports expires on ...