Q&A on the market impact of biotech-enhanced corn seed not yet approved for import into U.S. export markets

Syngenta Seeds Inc. has launched a new biotech-enhanced corn seed called Agrisure Duracade™ 5307 for planting in the United States in 2014. As of May 1, this trait has not been approved for import as food or feed by significant U.S. export markets, including China, the 28 countries of the European Union, Colombia, Switzerland, Brazil, Egypt, India, The Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Belarus or Turkey. Like the United States, a number of these countries (including China) have a zero-tolerance policy regarding the presence of unapproved biotech-enhanced traits in imported shipments.

The costly trade disruptions and commodity price impacts that can result were spotlighted when China in mid-November 2013 began rejecting shipments of U.S. corn and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) after detecting the presence of Syngenta Seeds’ Agrisure Viptera™ MIR 162, which has not received import approval yet. Some U.S. soybean shipments to China also were effected when trace levels of MIR 162 were detected.

This recent experience demonstrates how access to international markets for U.S. farm products can be disrupted or prevented when biotechnology-enhanced crops are commercialized before regulatory approvals are granted by importing countries.

Click here to view Q&A provided by the National Grain and Feed Association.