The U.S. Department of Agriculture commented on the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announcement about requesting technical consultations with Mexico.

These consultations with Mexico, under Sanitary and Phyosanitary Measures Chapter of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, are regarding Mexican measures concerning agricultural biotechnology measures, according to a March 6 USDA news release.

“Mexico is an important partner, and we remain committed to maintaining and strengthening our economic and trade ties,” Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said in the release. “A robust, transparent agricultural trading relationship, founded on rules and science, is vital to ensuring food security, mitigating the lingering effects of food price inflation, and helping to address the climate crisis. Innovations in agricultural biotechnology play a key role in advancing these critical, global objectives.”

Vilsack said the consultations represent the next step being taken to address the nation's concerns with the country of Mexico’s policies involving biotechnology, according to the release.

“While we appreciate the sustained, active engagement with our Mexican counterparts at all levels of government, we remain firm in our view that Mexico’s current biotechnology trajectory is not grounded in science, which is the foundation of USMCA,” Vilsack said in the release. “We remain unequivocal in our stance that the science around agricultural biotechnology has been settled for decades.”

Vilsack closed his statement saying he is hopeful the USDA's concern can be fully addressed, according to the release. He added they will also continue to pursue all necessary steps to enforce the rights under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement that ensures the producers in the U.S. and exporters have “full and fair access to the Mexican market."

“The United States has repeatedly conveyed our serious concerns with Mexico’s biotechnology policies and the importance of adopting a science-based approach that complies with its USMCA commitments,” Ambassador Katherine Tai said in a release from the Trade Representative office. "Mexico’s policies threaten to disrupt billions of dollars in agricultural trade and they will stifle the innovation that is necessary to tackle the climate crisis and food security challenges if left unaddressed. We hope these consultations will be productive as we continue to work with Mexico to address these issues.”