Germany announced plans on Tuesday to ban the only genetically modified strain of corn grown in the European Union, dealing a new blow to the American manufacturer, Monsanto, and raising the specter of trade tensions with the United States.

The German agriculture minister, Ilse Aigner, said that the move was intended to protect the safety of consumers and the environment. But she underlined that it would not represent a blanket ban on genetically modified crops.

“My decision is not a political decision, it’s a decision based on the facts,” Ms. Aigner said. “I have come to the conclusion that there is a justifiable reason to believe that genetically modified maize of the type MON 810 presents a danger to the environment.”

Kari Matalone, a spokeswoman for Monsanto, said the corn  which is engineered to resist pests  had been approved for cultivation in Europe more than a decade ago and that no ill effects had been detected since then.