ChemChina Agrees to Buy Syngenta in Record $43 Billion Deal

China National Chemical Corp. agreed to buy Swiss pesticide and seeds maker Syngenta AG for more than $43 billion in cash as the state-backed company extends its shopping spree with what would be the biggest acquisition by a Chinese firm.

ChemChina, as the closely-held company is known, offered $465 a share in cash, according to a Feb. 3 statement. The offer, endorsed by Syngenta’s board, is about 20 percent higher than the stock’s last close.

A Syngenta AG Golden Harvest brand hybrid seed corn seedling

Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg

“Political headwinds, in particular from the U.S., could make the takeover process more lengthy than initially expected,” Ute Haibach, analyst at J. Safra Sarasin, ...