Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says the Biden Administration has finally called for arbitrators to settle a dispute with Mexico over U-S corn imports. Ernst says she’s been pushing the U-S Trade Representative to take this step since last November.

In 2024, Mexico plans to ban the use of genetically modified corn in products like flour and tortillas that are made for human consumption. According to the U-S-D-A, about 90 percent of U-S corn is grown from genetically engineered seeds and Ernst says 16 million tons of Iowa-grown corn is exported to Mexico each year.

U-S officials say Mexico’s ban on genetically modified corn is not based on science and is a violation of the U-S-Mexico-Canada Agreement that took effect three years ago. Canada’s Trade Ministry is siding with the U-S in this corn dispute.