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Secretary Vilsack has concerns about ChemChina-Syngenta deal

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack says he has some concerns about ChemChina’s $44 billion bid for Swiss-based Syngenta.  “Having dealt with the Chinese on biotechnology and regulatory issues – the inconsistency, the lack of synchronization, and the unwillingness to make decision based on science raises some concerns that I have as to how this is all going to impact innovation,” he says.

 

Vilsack told reporters on Tuesday he is keeping a watchful eye on the potential merger.  “And I continue to be extremely concerned about how biotechnology and innovation is being treated,” he says.  “And impeded by a system in China that often times is not based on science and appears to be based more on politics.”

He says the United States is a global leader in innovation and biotechnology and should have the ability to bring products to the market place after appropriate study and review.