Seed technology companies comply with Mexico’s biosafety regulations, and Mexico should do the same, BIO said today in its response to the panel set up to determine if Mexico’s ban on imports of genetically modified corn violate its commitments under the U.S. – Mexico – Canada Agreement (USMCA).Mexico’s regulatory system has functioned in a predictable and science-based manner until the current president of Mexico took office, BIO wrote. The current president’s decree banning genetically modified (GM) products for certain food uses, and eventually phasing out imports of GM corn entirely, is inconsistent with Mexico’s regulations.“It is our conclusion that the presidential decree was not motivated based on scientific evidence, old or new,” BIO wrote in its comments to the panel.Since 2005, Mexico has followed well-established food and feed safety regulations, according to BIO. Seed technology companies develop scientific data and prepare regulatory submissions to ensure compliance with Mexico’s regulations—information that is rigorously analyzed by Mexican authorities—and continually monitor for new safety information. Mexico has not changed these regulations or processes, conducted new risk assessments or produced new scientific evidence to justify a change to the country’s GM regulations.To enable free movement of corn in North America, BIO members prepare regulatory submissions in accordance with standards set forth by the Mexican authorities. BIO members do not sell GE corn seed in Mexico.The primary issue at hand is that there is no scientific justification for the Mexican government to prohibit the use of GM corn in tortillas or in any other food or feed product, BIO added.In addition to the economic harm that Mexico’s proposed ban will have on U.S. corn producers, the ban will have a devastating impact on the agricultural innovation needed to achieve our climate goals and ensure we can meet the world’s growing demand for food, BIO says.“Science-based,…