Living in Mexico - Archives: November 2003
Tuesday, November 11, 2003
Consequences of September 11th will be felt by people living as remotely from New York as avocado producers in Michoacan! Mexican food exporters have until December 12th 2003 to comply with the Bioterrorism Act, which will create a gigantic amount of red tape. For example, around 50,000 Mexican food producers will have to register with the FDA and then give prior notification of all food export shipments to the US administration (up to 20,000 forms per day).
Yesterday's presentation by the FDA to senior representatives of the Mexican chambers of commerce and other stakeholders highlighted the confusion created by this decision from the US government. Many expect a backlash from the press in Mexico, accusing the USA of protecting economic interests under the cover of the war against terrorism. There is no doubt that some aspects of the Bioterrorism Act will cause practical problems. For instance, US government staff seem to believe that all small corn producers in Mexico have a PC in their kitchen to fill the prior notification forms electronically, when only 6 percent of the population have access to the Internet!
The impact of the Bioterrorism Act is just another example of the strong bond that unite the Mexican economy with his powerful Northern neighbour.
