US, Mexico Relations / Ban on GMO

US, Mexico Relations. President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held their first formal conversation on the phone. "It was a very productive and cordial conversation."

Donald Trump assumed office on Jan. 20, signing more than 40 executive orders. Among those impacting Mexico are measures such as the US-Mexico border emergency to curb illegal migration, mass deportations, the designation of Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations, the reinstatement of the "Remain in Mexico" policy, renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and a review of USMCA to determine its future. Additionally, Trump has announced a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico, set to take effect on Feb. 1.

Ban on GMO Corn. President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that the initiative to ban the cultivation of genetically modified (GMO) corn in Mexico is finalized and will be submitted to the Mexican Congress on Jan. 23. "The initiative is ready, and we plan to submit it tomorrow. It is simple: it seeks to prohibit the planting of GMO in the country, with the intention of incorporating it into the Constitution," said Sheinbaum.

The initiative aims to protect biodiversity and preserve corn as both a cultural symbol and a nutritional staple. These efforts respond to a USMCA dispute resolution panel's ruling, which concluded that López Obrador's 2020 presidential decree banning genetically modified seeds in Mexico violated the USMCA and lacked scientific merit. 

Olinia. Claudia Sheinbaum announced that the Olinia EV is currently in the design phase and will soon be showcased. She emphasized that in terms of production, the government is evaluating whether the project will be entirely publicly owned or if it will involve a public-private model. 

This month, Mexico unveiled Olinia, its first domestic OEM of electric mini vehicles, a project aimed at transforming urban mobility through affordability and sustainability. The initiative, announced by President Claudia Sheinbaum, is expected to launch three models priced between MX$90,000 and MX$150,000 (approximately US$4,500–$7,500) by 2030. The company will have an initial investment of MX$25 million in public and private capital.