Corn processors hail WTO's Mexico ruling

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9 (UPI) -- U.S. corn processors Tuesday hailed a World Trade Organization ruling against Mexico's tax on beverages with high fructose corn syrup.

The World Trade Organization has found Mexico's tax on beverages containing high fructose corn syrup in violation of the nation's WTO commitments, a move praised by the Corn Refiners Association.

"The time has come to resolve this issue once and for all. The corn industry has experienced heavy losses from the closure of our top foreign market for U.S.-owned high fructose corn syrup sales and bulk corn sales for HFCS production in Mexico," said Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association.

Erickson called on Mexico to immediately eliminate the 20-percent tax, enacted in 2002.