The United States reached a historic record in corn exports to Mexico during 2024, with a volume of 25.3 million tons, representing a 36% increase compared to the previous year, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In monetary terms, sales amounted to 5.7 billion dollars, a 5.5% increase from 2023, consolidating Mexico as one of the main destinations for U.S. corn.
This record growth in corn exports reflects Mexico's increasing dependence on grain from the United States, which has become a crucial input for the country's food and livestock industry. Despite the Mexican government's efforts to achieve self-sufficiency in corn production, the figures demonstrate that imports are still essential to meet domestic demand.
USDA data indicates that Louisiana led as the top corn-exporting state to Mexico in 2024, with sales of 1.6 billion dollars. It was followed by Illinois, Texas, Iowa, and Kansas, with amounts of 1.3 billion, 655 million, 636 million, and 535 million dollars, respectively. Together, these five states accounted for 63% of total corn exports to Mexico.
In another context, a decree was published in the Official Journal of the Federation (DOF) which eliminated key provisions to restrict the use of genetically modified corn in Mexico. This agreement, issued by the Ministry of Economy, nullified certain articles of a previous decree that established the revocation of authorizations for genetically modified corn intended for human consumption and promoted its replacement in various sectors.
President Claudia Sheinbaum stated in her daily conference that she will propose a constitutional reform to prohibit the cultivation of genetically modified corn in Mexico. "We will work on a reform that is constitutional, so that genetically modified corn cannot be planted in our country. We are going to overturn this resolution because I am sure that genetically modified corn cannot be planted and we must protect Mexico's biodiversity," the president affirmed.
