The Mexican government continues to minimize U.S. concerns over President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s restriction on genetically modified white corn, but the threat of the constraint is real, and damages are already accruing, according to American farm groups.

Mexican officials insist that their country doesn’t need to import white corn from the U.S. — most of which is grown from GM seeds — so the Mexican restriction that went into place on Feb. 13 will cause no damage to American farmers.

That’s just not the case, says Matt Rush, who grows corn, wheat and soybeans in Fairfield, Illinois. Rush also is vice president of the Illinois Corn Growers Association.

“I sold white corn on Feb. 14 and today that bid — just the premium — is 63% less than what it was,” said Rush, who uses GM corn seeds.

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While it’s obvious that there have been damages to U.S. farmers, proving such harm isn’t critical to the USMCA dispute process, said one U.S. industry analyst who asked not to be named because he’s not authorized to comment.

“A violation is a violation,” the analyst said. “If you prove that the measure is in violation of a country’s obligation, it doesn’t matter whether you’ve shown damages or not.”

This is an excerpt.

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