After years of waiting, China’s Vice Premier, Wang Yang announced that Beijing has approved imports of Syngenta’s genetically modified corn strain, Agrisure Viptera, also known as MIR 162. China has also given approval to two biotech soybean varieties developed by DuPont Pioneer and Bayer CropScience. As of the printing of this article, the approved strains of soybeans was not known, however, Bayer has been waiting seven years for approval from Beijing for its LL55 soybean seed and has delayed U.S. sales while waiting for approval. Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack noted that although China’s Ministry of Agriculture approved these strains, it does not indicate a change or loosening of the country’s regulatory approval process for biotech crops. The approval of Syngenta’s MIR 162 is meaningful, as since November 2013 China has been rejecting U.S. corn shipments because of its presence, virtually shutting down corn trade between the two countries. This trade disruption has led to dozens of lawsuits being filed against Syngenta by commodity traders such as Cargill and ADM, as well as farmers claiming hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.
To receive relevant news stories with summaries provided by GAI Research & Insight, subscribe to Global AgDevelopments, our free weekly enhanced eNews service