<div dir="ltr"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">---------- Forwarded message ---------<br>From: <strong class="gmail_sendername" dir="auto">Jordan Treakle</strong> <span dir="auto"><<a href="mailto:jordan@nffc.net">jordan@nffc.net</a>></span><br>Date: Thu, Aug 17, 2023 at 5:18 PM<br>Subject: Re: [CTC] IATP statement on US GM corn dispute panel<br>To: Arthur Stamoulis <<a href="mailto:arthur@citizenstrade.org">arthur@citizenstrade.org</a>>, Karen Hansen-Kuhn <<a href="mailto:khansenkuhn@iatp.org">khansenkuhn@iatp.org</a>><br></div><br><br><div dir="ltr"><div>Thanks Arthur and Karen for this statement, which we at NFFC definitely support. I think I failed to share with you <a href="https://nffc.net/us-mexicos-agricultural-policies/" target="_blank">a similar statement we put out on this issue in June</a>, which you all are free to circulate if helpful.<br></div><div>Best,</div><div><br></div><div>Jordan<br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Thu, Aug 17, 2023 at 4:44 PM Arthur Stamoulis <<a href="mailto:arthur@citizenstrade.org" target="_blank">arthur@citizenstrade.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="auto"><br><br><div dir="auto"><br></div><br><div class="gmail_quote" dir="auto"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Thu, Aug 17, 2023, 4:03 PM Karen Hansen-Kuhn <<a href="mailto:khansenkuhn@iatp.org" target="_blank">khansenkuhn@iatp.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
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</span><span><a href="mailto:cbrackey@iatp.org" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">cbrackey@iatp.org</span></a></span><span>, +1-651-328-4706<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE <u></u>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span>August 17, 2023<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span>U.S. ESCALATES TRADE DISPUTE OVER GM CORN, CHALLENGES MEXICO’S FOOD SOVEREIGNTY<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span>U.S. Trade Representative office’s move to form dispute resolution panel lacks justification according to experts
</span></i><span><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span><u></u> <u></u></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8pt;line-height:106%"><b><span>MINNEAPOLIS/Washington, D.C.</span></b><span>—<span style="color:rgb(33,33,33)">Today, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) office
escalated its complaint against Mexico’s ban on genetically modified (GM) corn, asserting it as a potential violation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). USTR filed a request for the formation of a dispute resolution panel under the USCMA framework.
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy has analyzed the USMCA and believes that USTR is exaggerating the economic impacts on U.S. producers and that the agreement permits such precautionary policies to protect public health and the environment.<u></u><u></u></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8pt;line-height:106%"><span style="color:rgb(33,33,33)">U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and the agribusiness sector have asserted that biotech and environment provisions within USMCA require
Mexico to permit the importation of GM corn. However, these </span><span><a href="https://www.iatp.org/documents/understanding-agricultural-biotechnology-provisions-us-mexico-canada-agreement" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">claims are
false</span></a><span style="color:rgb(33,33,33)">: A examination of the agreement reveals that “Mexico retains authority to adopt and implement policies to protect the environment and public health, preserve and enhance biodiversity, and respect Indigenous communities
and lifestyles.”<u></u><u></u></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8pt;line-height:106%"><span style="color:rgb(33,33,33)">USTR Katherine Tai has expressed unfounded concern that Mexico’s policies might disrupt billions of dollars in agricultural trade between the countries.
No credible evidence exists to support this claim, as determined by </span><span><a href="https://www.iatp.org/distorting-markets-name-free-trade" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">analysis from IATP</span></a><span style="color:rgb(33,33,33)">
of the economic modeling study that underpins the USTR claim. The economic study was commissioned by CropLife and other agribusiness entities in the U.S. and Mexico, all with strong economic interests in blocking Mexico’s restrictions on GM corn.
<u></u><u></u></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8pt;line-height:106%"><span style="color:rgb(33,33,33)">In response to U.S. officials’ critique of Mexico’s ban on GM corn as not founded in science, the Mexican government organized a robust series of
webinars this spring that presented substantive evidence on the human health concerns surrounding GM food. For years, Mexico’s national science agency has maintained
</span><span><a href="https://conahcyt.mx/cibiogem/index.php/sistema-nacional-de-informacion/documentos-y-actividades-en-bioseguridad" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">a public database</span></a><span style="color:rgb(33,33,33)"> of evidence
underlying the concerns about public health and corn biodiversity from both GM corn and the herbicide glyphosate. A synthesis report of these scientific finds is due out shortly.
<u></u><u></u></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8pt;line-height:106%"><span style="color:rgb(33,33,33)">The U.S. government has refused Mexico’s offer to collaborate in an examination of the science, particularly in relation to less-well-studied concerns
about the consumption of animal products fed on GM corn and glyphosate. Victor Suarez, Mexico’s Undersecretary of Agriculture for Food Self-Sufficiency,
</span><span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/science/mexican-official-says-us-refuses-cooperate-gm-corn-studies-2023-08-03/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">told Reuters</span></a><span style="color:rgb(33,33,33)"> the U.S. thinks it can unilaterally
determine the science of the issue.<i><u></u><u></u></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8pt;line-height:106%"><span style="color:rgb(33,33,33)">“U.S. agribusiness exporters, the biotech industry and their allies in Congress are pushing this case, intent on compelling Mexico to accept U.S.
exports without debate. It is an assault on Mexico’s food sovereignty,” says Karen Hansen-Kuhn, IATP
</span><span>director of trade and international strategies and author of
<a href="https://www.iatp.org/us-trade-dispute-genetically-modified-corn-shaky-ground" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">
<span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">an op-ed</span></a> on Mexico’s rights under the USMCA. “<span style="color:rgb(33,33,33)">Trade rules should provide a forum to protect and advance rights, rather than block them.”<u></u><u></u></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8pt;line-height:106%"><span style="color:rgb(33,33,33)">“As
</span><span><a href="https://www.gob.mx/se/prensa/secretaria-de-economia-y-ustr-dialogan-sobre-el-decreto-de-maiz" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">Mexican Economy Minister Raquel Buenrostro stated</span></a><span style="color:rgb(33,33,33)">
in response to the USTR request for technical consultations, Mexico’s decree is based on science, and she will challenge the U.S. government in the consultations to show ‘quantitatively, with numbers, something that has not occurred: that the corn decree has
commercially affected U.S. exporters,’” says Timothy A. Wise, IATP senior advisor, whose
</span><a href="https://www.iatp.org/false-alarms-over-mexicos-gm-corn-restrictions" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">op-ed</span></a><span style="color:rgb(33,33,33)"> summarizes the exaggeration of economic impacts from the Mexican measures. “The Mexican government
will show what has occurred: Its cherished tortillas are being contaminated with glyphosate and GM corn. And they intend to put a stop to that.”<u></u><u></u></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8pt;line-height:106%"><span style="color:rgb(33,33,33)">Beyond the immediate implications, the case could set precedent for other trade negotiations, potentially including the Indo Pacific Economic Framework
negotiations, which will cover agriculture, as well as in current talks with Kenya. In addition, Colombia’s President
</span><span><a href="https://www.infobae.com/colombia/2023/08/16/gustavo-petro-anuncio-que-colombia-empezo-a-renegociar-el-tlc-con-estados-unidos/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">Gustavo Petro is asking for a renegotiation</span></a><span style="color:rgb(33,33,33)">
of its trade agreement with the U.S., in part due to rising dependence on unfairly priced corn exports from the U.S.
<u></u><u></u></span></span></p>
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</blockquote></div><br clear="all"><br><span class="gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div>Jordan Treakle (he/him)<br> </div><div>National Programs and Policy Coordinator </div><div style="text-align:left">National Family Farm Coalition</div><div style="text-align:left"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/S-RAx9nYIYfuNwCq9u19mvyWRmDZsFd2O0api_i6uJ-1aIy6F9Yp-fIa4uOclsac-1fGwdsKp8opyBVJ_jYl_3jUwgjsnNYap8QCTXJ5QDA_pXrtEP-3AXomzsF1EsnqZZZJ5OIs" width="150" height="41" style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Arial;font-size:14.6667px;white-space:pre-wrap;margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></div><div><div style="text-align:left"> <a href="http://www.nffc.net" target="_blank">www.nffc.net</a> </div> 202.543.5675 </div></div></div>
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