Syngenta’s headquarters in Basel, Switzerland. (Photo courtesy Syngenta)

Canada’s competition watchdog clears Syngenta takeover

Canada’s farmers aren’t likely to see less competition for their crop chemical dollars if the owner of Adama Canada buys Syngenta, the Canadian antitrust watchdog has ruled. The Competition Bureau on Tuesday issued a “no action” letter for the takeover of Syngenta by China National Chemical Corp. (ChemChina), saying the deal is “unlikely to result […] Read more



Syngenta’s Interaction Centre at Stein, Switzerland. (Syngenta.com)

EU said set to approve ChemChina bid for Syngenta

Brussels | Reuters — ChemChina is set to secure conditional EU antitrust approval for its US$43 billion bid for Swiss pesticides and seeds group Syngenta, two people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. The deal — the largest foreign acquisition by a Chinese company — is important for China, the world’s largest agricultural market, […] Read more

(Syngenta.com)

ChemChina seeks U.S. antitrust approval for Syngenta deal

Beijing | Reuters –– China National Chemical Corp., or ChemChina, said Friday it has sought the U.S. antitrust regulator’s approval for its planned US$43 billion acquisition of Swiss crop protection and seed group Syngenta. “We have filed an HSR Act with the FTC after good communications with the case team. We believe the U.S. anti-trust […] Read more



Syngenta’s Interaction Centre at Stein, Switzerland. (Syngenta.com)

Syngenta, ChemChina submit remedy proposals to EU

Hong Kong/Beijing | Reuters — China National Chemical Corp (ChemChina) and Swiss pesticides and seeds group Syngenta have proposed remedies to the European Union’s competition watchdog to address concerns over their US$43 billion merger agreement. The European Commission’s website showed “commitments” submitted on Monday, which typically means the parties have proposed remedies such as asset […] Read more


Symptoms of verticillium wilt in an infected potato plant. (OMAFRA.gov.on.ca)

Fungicide cleared to curb verticillium wilt in potatoes

A label expansion for Syngenta’s Aprovia fungicide, to cover additional soil-borne potato diseases, makes it the first fungicide in Canada approved to suppress verticillium wilt in potatoes. Fumigants have been potato growers’ only option against the crop disease until now, Eric Phillips, Syngenta Canada’s fungicides and insecticides product lead, said in a release Thursday. Verticillium […] Read more

(Syngenta.com)

EU regulators delay ChemChina/Syngenta decision

Brussels | Reuters — European Union antitrust regulators have extended the deadline for a decision on ChemChina’s proposed buy of Swiss pesticides and seeds group Syngenta by 10 working days, to April 12. Syngenta said in a statement the two companies had asked for the extension to allow “sufficient time for the discussion of remedy […] Read more


(CaseIH.com)

Syngenta, DuPont patent new herbicide chemistry class

The crop chemical arms of DuPont and Syngenta are working together on a new class of herbicide chemistry they’ve jointly patented and taken to the “pre-development” stage. DuPont Crop Protection and Syngenta announced Monday they’ve published a joint patent, titled “Substituted cyclic amides and their use as herbicides,” and expect to launch herbicides based on […] Read more

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, shown here in a video on his website in September discussing consolidation in the seed and ag chem sectors, has raised concerns that ChemChina, when or if it takes over Syngenta, might invoke sovereign immunity to block claims filed against it in U.S. courts. (Grassley.senate.gov)

Key U.S. senator remains wary of China’s Syngenta play

Beijing | Reuters — A powerful U.S. senator said he is concerned that state-owned ChemChina, which is buying Swiss crop protection and seed group Syngenta for $43 billion, could use U.S. sovereign immunity laws to shield itself from claims in U.S. courts. Some Chinese state-owned entities have argued that they have sovereign immunity and thus […] Read more