Dow Chemical has gained import approval from China to sell its next-generation Enlist corn variety, and is planning to bring the seeds to the the U.S. and Canadian market next year.
China, the world’s biggest soy importer, has yet to give Dow the go-ahead to sell Enlist soybeans.
Enlist is a suite of products designed to combat weeds resistant to glyphosate — the world’s most commonly used herbicide. According to Dow, 100 million acres of American farmland are infested with resistant weeds.
China recently agreed to speed up regulatory reviews for biotech products as part of a trade deal the U.S. struck with the country in May. Eight products had been in regulatory limbo for about four years.
According to Reuters, Enlist is Dow Agroscience’s most significant product rollout to date and will be a crucial part of the company’s goal to increase seed sales by $600 million by 2020. While China, America’s biggest export market for agricultural products, doesn’t allow GMO crops for human consumption, it does permit GMO seeds for animal feed.
Companies often hold back on global sales until they gain approval from China, which typically takes up to six years.
Monsanto’s Vistive Gold soybeans were also given import approval from China this week.
