(NewsDakota.com/NAFB) – Corn growers told Congressional members and their staffs they must hold the line over Mexico’s proposed ban on imports of GMO corn.

During a congressional briefing, members of the National Corn Growers Association said if that ban takes effect, it will block most U.S. corn imports into Mexico and be a significant blow to the American economy. Mexico’s president plans to implement a decree banning biotech corn from coming into Mexico in early 2024. The vast majority of U.S. corn is biotech.

“This decree would cut most American growers off from what has historically been our largest export market,” says NCGA President Tom Haag. “That’s why U.S. officials must continue to ensure that Mexico lives up to its commitments under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.”

NCGA hosted the congressional briefing on the one-year mark from the decree’s effective date. The ban would cause the U.S. economy to lose $73.8 billion over ten years.