Law Commons^™

Digging Up The Dirt: China's Exploitation Of Transgenic Seed Approvals, Lucas A. Westerman

University of Colorado Law Review

In 2013, China rejected shipments of U.S. corn imports due to the presence of an unapproved transgenic trait, creating an international trade disruption that sent ripples throughout the U.S. agriculture industry and grain markets. Syngenta, the seed company that began selling the trait to U.S. farmers prior to receiving China's import approval, largely shouldered the blame. U.S. farmers held Syngenta singularly liable and initiated a class action in an attempt to force Syngenta to pay for the drop in grain prices due to the disruption. The highly publicized domestic legal dispute left China's opportunistic actions largely unnoticed. The time has …