The U.S. Trade Representative’s Office and the Department of Agriculture are evaluating proposed amendments to Mexico’s decree to ban the use and purchase of biotech commodities. In a joint statement, USTR Katherine Tai and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack say, “We agreed to review their proposal closely and follow up with questions or concerns in short order,” adding, “There is a joint recognition that time is of the essence and we must determine a path forward soon.” The two officials met with a delegation of senior Mexican Government officials in Washington, D.C. late last week. On the same day, a group of more than 20 farm-state Senators urged USTR and USDA to take action against Mexico’s proposal to ban U.S. genetically-engineered corn. The Senators write, “It would be detrimental to food security in Mexico, hurt U.S. agricultural sustainability, and stifle future agricultural technology innovations that would benefit both nations.”