Mexico Denies Sen. Grassley’s Accusations About Meat Ban

Mexico Denies Sen. Grassley’s Accusations About Meat Ban


Mexico is rejecting a Republican senator’s accusations that it temporarily banned meat imports from the United States to retaliate against a new food-labeling policy.

On Dec. 23, Mexico notified the Agriculture Department that 30 U.S. meatpacking plants would be delisted, or stripped of certification, to export to Mexico, citing product quality issues.

Sen. Charles E. Grassley , R-Iowa, questioned the timing, saying Mexico’s move appears to be retaliation for new country-of-origin labeling rules, which took effect Sept. 30.

“I believe it is directly related,” said Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Finance Committee and a key architect of the 2008 farm law that included the labeling requirement. “I don’t know how serious they are about it, but they have cut off imports of meat from certain plants. And so we’ll have to look into it. The bright line is that when you interfere with the production of food, it’s got to be based upon science and not on politics.”

A U.S.-based Mexican official familiar with the trade issue said there was no connection between the import ban and labeling dispute, adding that the situation was being politicized.

The official said Mexican inspectors at the border determined that products from the specified plants were not up to sanitary standards agreed to by both countries. Some had been improperly frozen, emitted a bad odor or contained hair, he said. :puke:

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