Browse Data and Analysis

U.S. agricultural exports to Jamaica in 2023 totaled approximately $601 million, which makes the United States a key trading partner for the Caribbean nation. Currently, some U.S. exported livestock feed inputs and intermediate foods to Jamaica are produced using biotechnological methods.

The legal and regulatory situation to allow the planting of genetically engineered (GE) crops in Ecuador remains the same as 2023. Commercial cultivation of GE crops is not permitted, however cultivation for research is allowed and an exception exists for GE products without recombinant or foreign DNA in the genome.

Since 2011, Peru has continued its moratorium on biotechnology due to concern on its impact to the environment. The scientific community, however pledges to adopt it . In January 2021, Peru extended the previous ten-year biotechnology moratorium for another fifteen years.

Agricultural biotechnology constitutes an opportunity for U.S. suppliers, as non-governmental and governmental organizations have encouraged its integration into the Haitian economy in recent years.

The Dominican Republic continues to be a strong market for U.S. bulk agricultural products (e.g., corn), intermediate goods (e.g., soybean meal), and high value consumer-oriented products (e.g., processed food products), reaching a total export value of $2 billion in 2023.

Colombia’s agricultural industry widely utilizes innovative biotechnologies, and its regulatory environment remains open genetically engineered (GE) derived commodities. However, congressional anti-biotechnology initiatives continue to risk undoing decades of scientific advancement, undermining biotechnology development and potentially impacting agricultural trade.

Brazil is the second-largest producer of biotech crops in the world, with 131 events approved for plants. For the 2024/2025 crop season, FAS Brasilia forecasts 68.5 million hectares planted with GE traits. Adoption rates for soybeans and cotton reached 99 percent and for corn, 95 percent.

In June 2024, the Nicaraguan Institute of Agricultural Protection and Health (IPSA) issued an executive resolution to strengthen the risk mitigation measures for the monitoring and testing of GE grains.

Production of genetically engineered products (primarily cotton for seed and pink pineapples) is expected to increase in 2025 as new cotton events are expected to be approved by the National Technical Biosafety Commission.

On October 1, 2019, El Salvador agreed to harmonize the biosafety technical regulation for “modified living organisms” for agricultural use with Guatemala and Honduras and designated the Ministry of Agriculture as the National Competent Authority to provide authorizations and keep registries related to biotechnology.

Access to the benefits of modern agricultural biotechnology in the Caribbean Basin remains stifled by the unfinished work of implementing a science-based, risk-management approach to regulate its use.

This report lists and describes certificate and other documents that must accompany food and agricultural imports to Chile as required by Chilean regulations. Since the last version of this report in 2023, The United States and Chile negotiated the new attestations for dairy products.