Mexico bars shipment of glyphosate pesticide

MEXICO CITY – The Mexican government says it won’t allow a 1,000-ton shipment of the pesticide glyphosate into the country, citing health and environmental concerns.

Mexico became the latest in a string of countries to announce bans on glyphosate, the active ingredient in weed killer Roundup.

Mexico’s environment department said Monday it denied a permit to import glyphosate, presumably for agricultural use.

The department said “glyphosate represents a high environmental risk, given the credible presumption that its use can cause serious environmental damage and irreversible health damage.”

There have been a host of successful U.S. lawsuits from people who claim glyphosate causes cancer.

Previously, Thailand and Germany announced bans or phase-outs of glyphosate.