Reading Time: < 1 minute Brussels | Reuters — European Union antitrust regulators on Friday opened an in-depth investigation into state-owned Chinese chemicals group ChemChina’s US$43 billion bid for Swiss pesticides and seeds group Syngenta, China’s biggest-ever foreign acquisition. Syngenta’s shares plunged over nine per cent on Monday after the European Commission said the companies had not allayed its concerns […] Read more
EU probe to hold up ChemChina’s acquisition of Syngenta
ChemChina reported ready for concessions to clinch Syngenta deal
Reading Time: 3 minutes Beijing/Zurich | Reuters — State-owned Chinese chemicals group ChemChina is ready to offer more concessions to win European Union antitrust approval for its US$43 billion bid for Swiss pesticide and seed group Syngenta, a source with direct knowledge of the process said. Clinching China’s biggest-ever foreign acquisition is taking longer than planned amid a flurry […] Read more
Syngenta slumps after EU watchdog sparks ChemChina deal doubts
Reading Time: 2 minutes Brussels/Zurich | Reuters — Syngenta shares fell more than nine per cent on Monday after the European Commission triggered doubts about Chinese state-owned chemical company ChemChina’s US$43 billion bid for the Swiss pesticides and seeds group. The companies met with the EU antitrust authority a week ago in a bid to allay competition concerns about […] Read more
ChemChina, Syngenta ready to offer EU remedies over merger
Reading Time: < 1 minute Florence | Reuters — Chinese state-owned chemical company ChemChina and Swiss pesticides and seeds group Syngenta are prepared to offer concessions to EU antitrust regulators to ease concerns over their US$43 billion deal, a person familiar with the matter said Friday. The companies will meet European Commission officials on Monday in a meeting called by […] Read more
German federal, state governments to decide jointly on GM crops
Reading Time: < 1 minute Berlin | Reuters — Germany’s federal and state governments will in future decide together whether to ban the cultivation of crops with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that are allowed in the European Union, a draft law showed, ending a long dispute. An EU law in March 2015 cleared the way for the approval of new […] Read more
EU’s Juncker seeks to win over Austria on CETA
Reading Time: 2 minutes Strasbourg | Reuters –– European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker expressed optimism on Wednesday that EU governments would agree a contentious free trade deal this month ahead of a meeting with a skeptical Austrian chancellor. Juncker said the EU needed to ensure that a deal agreed with Canada two years ago entered into force in a […] Read more
EU regulators halt Dow, DuPont merger review to gather data
Reading Time: < 1 minute Brussels | Reuters — European Union antitrust regulators have halted their scrutiny of Dow Chemical and DuPont’s proposed merger while the companies provide more information regarding their US$130 billion deal. The European Commission opened a full investigation into the case in August, concerned that the deal to create the world’s largest integrated crop protection and […] Read more
Austria drops talk of ‘conflict’ over EU-Canada trade deal
Reading Time: 2 minutes Vienna | Reuters — Austria toned down its opposition to a free trade deal between the European Union and Canada on Friday, two days after social democrat Chancellor Christian Kern had vowed to start a “conflict” over the agreement. While the so-called CETA accord is all but sealed, the Austrian leader’s opposition reflects concerns widely […] Read more
Austria expects ‘conflict’ on Canada trade deal
Reading Time: 2 minutes Vienna | Reuters — Austria is ready to confront other European Union members states over its opposition to a free trade deal with Canada, Chancellor Christian Kern said, because it sees it containing many of the same problems as one being negotiated with the U.S. Austria opposes a proposed free trade deal with the United […] Read more
Canada/EU trade pact seen possible despite headwinds
Reading Time: 3 minutes Canada still has a good shot at ratifying its trade deal with the European Union, despite turmoil within the EU, according to Canadian government officials. The United Kingdom’s recent referendum vote to leave the EU doesn’t legally change the ratification of the Canada/EU Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) in any way, a federal official said […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
