First Farmer Lawsuit On Deck Against Syngenta Over China Trade

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The first of tens of thousands of U.S. lawsuits is set to go to trial against Syngenta over the Swiss agribusiness giant's decision to introduce a genetically engineered corn variety to the U.S. market before China approved it for imports.

The lawsuits allege Syngenta's move wrecked an increasingly important export market for U.S. corn.

The first test case goes to trial Monday in Minneapolis. The second begins in Kansas City, Kansas, on June 5.

The two cases are meant to provide guidance for how the complex web of litigation could be resolved.

Court filings show Syngenta aggressively marketed the seeds even when it knew Chinese approval was going to be a problem.

Plaintiffs' experts estimate the damage at around $5 billion. Syngenta denies it caused any losses.

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