Mexico | Mexican Lawmakers Call For Increased Ag Spending, Import Controls, N...

Mexico

Mexican Lawmakers Call For Increased Ag Spending, Import Controls, NAFTA Renegotiation

The presidents of the agriculture committees in the Mexican Senate and the Lower Chamber of the Mexican Congress have called for significant increases in the budget of the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA) strict import controls on agricultural goods, and the renegotiation of NAFTA’s agricultural clauses, according to an article in the leading Mexican newspaper, Reforma. On January 1, 2003, U.S. pork exports to Mexico will no longer pay any import tariffs or be subject to tariff rate quotas. U.S. beef exports are already fully liberalized though they are at present burdened with anti-dumping duties.

A Reforma  article on October 14, characterized the Mexican agricultural sector as on the brink of collapse in the face of growing imports, principally from the United States. Mexican President Vicente Fox also criticized U.S. farm subsidies last month, saying he will approach U.S. President George W. Bush about making NAFTA terms less painful for Mexican farmers. Heeding calls from agricultural groups, the Government of Mexico plans to increase its 2003 agriculture budget from 700 million pesos ($70 million) to 5.0 billion pesos ($500 million).