Swiss-based seed firm Syngenta had applied for cultivation approval for its Viptera GMO corn in China, but later halted the process to focus on winning import permission for the grain, a company spokesman told Reuters.

Syngenta is being sued by grain exporters Cargill and Trans Coastal Supply Co for failing to gain import approval for the GMO corn, also known as MIR162, in China before selling the seed to farmers in the US.