Bayer Beware: Germany Has History of Bungled Overseas Deals
- The deal to buy Monsanto faces numerous regulatory hurdles
- German public backlash likely over Monsanto’s main businesses
Bayer, Monsanto CEOs on Getting Deal Done
After months of talks, Bayer AG finally pulled off the biggest foreign acquisition in the history of corporate Germany with the $66 billion takeover of Monsanto Co. Now, the hard work begins to make the combination a success.
Bayer-Monsanto follows agrichemical deals between Dow Chemical Co. and DuPont, as well as ChemChina-Syngenta AG. Completion of the merger would leave three companies with more than 75 percent of the global market, according to data compiled by Bloomberg -- a level of concentration sure to set off alarm bells with regulators. The combination also faces a public backlash in Germany over concerns about Monsanto’s genetically modified seeds and weedkiller -- both abhorred in Bayer’s home country.