Bayer Says Legal Woes Could Force It To Pull Weedkiller
German chemicals giant Bayer said Friday it could be forced to pull its Roundup weedkiller from the market if it is not able to contain simmering legal troubles.
"We're nearing a point where the litigation industry could force us to even stop selling this vital product," CEO Bill Anderson said at Bayer's annual general meeting.
The group had "no specific plans" to discontinue sales in the United States, Anderson said in a question-and-answer session.
Bayer however "cannot continue to market the product in the way we have in the past... in a financially sustainable way because of the lawsuits", he added.
In Anderson's opinion it was "very important for US farmers, US consumers... to make changes in the law".
The stakes were also "really high" for Bayer, which has seen its share price tumble in the wake of the its acquisition of Roundup-maker Monsanto in 2018.
"The status quo is not an option," Anderson said.
Bayer has long battled to bring the legal troubles under control and has said it aims to significantly contain litigation "by the end of 2026".
Already, the Leverkusen-based group has spent over $10 billion (8.8 billion euros) to settle cases in the United States alleging that Bayer failed to disclose Roundup's health risks.
Claimants say that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, causes blood cancers, while Bayer says scientific studies and regulatory approvals show that the weedkiller is safe.
Bayer this month made another request for the US Supreme Court to intervene in the case, its third such attempt and the first since Anderson took the reins in 2023.
After being twice rebuffed by the court, Bayer is hopeful of more success following rulings by federal appellate courts, which the German group said support its case.
Bayer has at the same time asked investors to approve capital increase through the issuance of new stock to cover potential legal costs related to Roundup.
The efforts to manage the possible damage have however done little to quell investor concerns about the group's direction.
Speaking at the meeting, Deka Investment manager Ingo Speich said Anderson's record as CEO was "disastrous".
Shareholders were now being asked to "pay the price" for Roundup's issues, Speich said, describing the move as a "bitter pill to swallow".
"Why should everything be different this time and the wave of lawsuits stopped with more money?", said Janne Werning of Union Investment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
18 hours ago
- DW
Germany: Why are so many Turks applying for citizenship? – DW – 06/22/2025
The number of Turkish people becoming German citizens doubled in 2024. Why is that? Germany has become increasingly attractive for Turks — whether for life, work or study. Immigration statistics show that a total of 22,525 Turkish citizens received German passports in 2024 — a 110% increase over 2023. Turkey is now second only to Syria when it comes to the number of its citizens receiving German passports. Alaz Sumer is one of those who decided to apply. He came to Germany about eight years ago to pursue his master's degree. Now a lawyer, he works for a Berlin-based NGO and is completing his doctorate in constitutional law. He told DW that citizenship is the goal of every immigrant, saying it is much more practical. "Otherwise you are always stuck dealing with bureaucracy — and it is heavy here. Just getting a residency permit can be torturous." Burak Keceli, an IT specialist who graduated from Istanbul's respected Bogazici University, came to Germany in 2016. He says he came for career reasons and has spent several years working in the private sector. Today, he continues to live in Berlin. Looking back, he says: "I've lived in Germany for years and speak the language fluently. After all that time, I wanted to be able to have my say politically. The power of a German passport was also an important factor … with it, I can travel to many countries around the world without a visa." According to the 2025 Global Passport Index, which ranks passports by the number of countries a holder thereof can travel to visa-free, Germany ranked fifth in the world — behind the United Arab Emirates, Spain, Singapore and France. A German passport provides visa-free entry into 131 countries, whereas a Turkish passport only allows 75. Germany's June 2024 citizenship reforms no doubt gave the trend a major boost, with dual citizenship becoming a major incentive for migrants to seek a second passport. Alaz Sumer, for instance, says he had no desire to relinquish his Turkish citizenship. "I didn't want to give up my right to vote," he says. A Turkish passport he says, also has advantages in countries with which Turkey has better relations than Germany. Burak Keceli is also a dual citizen. He calls the possibility of having two passports "very positive" but says he would have sought German citizenship either way. Germany's previous government also shortened the residency requirement for citizenship from eight down to five years and down to three for those who could show special integration potential. The new government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz did away with the three-year rule in May, 2025. Still, the new government has let the dual-citizenship model stand, meaning migrants can keep their original passports. That's very important to many of those who have come to Germany from elsewhere. Until recently, Germany required all migrants — with the exception of Swiss and EU-member state passport holders — to renounce prior citizenship before granting them German passports. That forced many to hold off seeking German citizenship over the emotional, familial and business ties they maintained with their country of origin. That goes for an estimated 3 million Turks living in Germany. The political, social and economic situation in Turkey has also been a major driver for immigration. "I wanted to be an academic," says Alaz Sumer, "but I didn't have the impression that it was really possible to do so freely in Turkey. When the situation deteriorated, I left." As for Keceli, he says would wouldn't have been able to have a "nice life" in Turkey. "If I had chosen to go to another country [other than Germany] I probably would have applied for citizenship there." The political climate in Turkey has been worsening for years. Human rights organizations regularly report freedom of speech and press violations by the government. In March, the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had his most capable election challenger, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, arrested — a drastic measure even by Erdogan's standards. Moreover, the country has languished economically for years: In 2015, a euro cost about 2.3 Turkish lira, now it's nearly 46 ($1 is currently worth around 40 Turkish lira, 10 years ago it was around it cost around 2.7 Turkish lira). Despite integration and years of life spent in Germany, many Turks here still feel rooted in their old culture and continue to call Turkey home. "Germany never became home for me. I wouldn't describe myself as a German. But even if I did, Germans would laugh at me — and rightly so," says Sumer. Keceli sees things similarly: "All of my loved ones are in Turkey. I never lost the connection. I will continue to travel back and forth. And even if I don't always keep up on the latest news, I still listen to Turkish music. I will always call Turkey home. I don't really feel at home in Germany." Sumer says he "mostly enjoys" life in Germany but admits he doesn't feel like he really belongs. "I don't think that you're immediately accepted when you get a German passport — that certainly wasn't the case for me." He then describes experiences that mirror those of other migrants: "I feel closer to Turkey than I do to Germany. It's clear to me that I am only German on paper. Even if you assimilate and live by German standards — you're still always an immigrant." Sumer recounts moments of everyday discrimination. When he tried to find an apartment after receiving his citizenship, he says, he didn't get any replies whatsoever to his online queries using his real name. That changed when he a fake name. "If you don't have a German name, a German passport won't do you much good either," he says. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Local Germany
2 days ago
- Local Germany
German military sees Russia as 'existential risk' to Germany and Europe: report
The Kremlin is "specifically aligning both its industry and leadership structures with the requirements of a large-scale conflict against NATO by the end of this decade," the news magazine wrote on Friday , quoting from the paper. Russia has strengthened forces in particular along NATO borders in western Russia and could have around 1.5 million soldiers on active duty by 2026, Spiegel reported, citing the paper. The report warns that Germany can only counter the threat by consistently developing its military and societal capabilities. The strategy paper was developed by military personnel and experts as a guideline for the future direction of Germnay's military, Spiegel said. In May, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz surprised NATO allies by signalling plans to massively boost defence spending to five percent of GDP as demanded by US President Donald Trump. The spending hike is possible as Merz's coalition government secured major financial firepower – an easing of debt rules and approval for hundreds of billions in extra funding for defence and infrastructure.
Int'l Business Times
2 days ago
- Int'l Business Times
Supreme Court Declines To Fast-Track Challenge To Trump-Era Tariffs
The US Supreme Court on Thursday declined to expedite a major legal challenge to former President Donald Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports, opting not to intervene early in a case that could reshape presidential authority over trade policy. Educational toy companies Learning Resources and hand2mind had petitioned the Court to bypass the standard appeals process, citing the "sweeping economic consequences" of the tariffs and their impact on businesses and consumers nationwide. The Court's rejection means the case will proceed under the usual timeline, with the federal government now having until mid-July to file its response, Reuters reported. The companies argue that the tariffs, imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), were unconstitutional. They contend that the Act does not authorize the president to unilaterally impose trade barriers without congressional oversight. A lower court ruled in their favor in May 2024, stating that Trump lacked the authority to use emergency powers to enact the tariffs. That decision, however, is currently on hold pending appeal. In urging the Court to take up the case directly, the companies stressed what they called "unremitting whiplash" and an "unprecedented economic burden" placed on U.S. businesses. They asked the justices to schedule oral arguments as early as September 2025. The Biden administration opposed the motion, arguing that expedited review was "unwarranted" and that a similar case making its way through the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit presented a more suitable vehicle for resolving the legal questions. Solicitor General D. John Sauer advised the Court to allow the appellate process to play out, suggesting a decision could be better timed for the October 2025 term. While the Court's procedural ruling does not address the underlying legality of the tariffs, it delays any definitive resolution. The justices could still choose to hear the case in the next term or later, depending on the outcome of related appeals.
