China's approval process for biotech crops is beset by regulatory hurdles and delays that have cost U.S. companies billions of dollars and added to challenges for American farmers.
 
Industry groups and members of Congress have been urging the Trump administration to press China to make its regulatory process for approving agricultural biotech products more transparent and timely.
 
High-level talks earlier this month in Washington between Chinese and U.S. negotiators touched on a variety of nontariff barrier issues. A spokesman for China's Ministry of Commerce, Gao Feng, told reporters Thursday the talks achieved "new progress," adding that technology transfer and intellectual property were among the issues discussed.
 
 
Chinese regulatory policies on genetically modified organism seeds are seen as protectionist and favoring domestic development and commercialization of agricultural biotechnology, according to industry observers. Beijing is believed to have spent over $3.5 billion on biotech crop research to help develop its domestic industry.
 
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