Mexican and United States trade officials met in Mexico City this week to discuss Mexico’s potential ban on U.S.-grown GMO corn. U.S. officials shared afterward that the country failed to satisfy the “grave concerns” of the United States over the potential ban and that the U.S. would take formal steps to enforce the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. U.S. Chief Agricultural Negotiator Doug McKalip and Agriculture Undersecretary Alexis Taylor said Mexico’s changes to the presidential decree shared at the end of 2022 are insufficient.

According to the U.S. leaders, the potential ban, slated to take effect in January 2024, is not grounded in science and threatens to disrupt billions of dollars in bilateral agricultural trade, adversely impacting both countries. Mexico is one of the largest customers of U.S. corn, almost all of which is grown with GMO seed. Both countries said they hope to reach a settlement this month, but Monday’s meeting brings doubt to that resolution.

Read more on the potential GMO corn ban from Mexico here.