U.S. says has not received notice of China approving Viptera corn

(Reuters) - The United States has not received official notification from China of approval for imports of a type of genetically modified corn at the center of lawsuits against seed maker Syngenta AG, a U.S. government spokesperson told Reuters on Tuesday. Chinese authorities have informed some agriculture industry officials that the government has approved imports of Agrisure Viptera corn, known as MIR 162, according to reports from Agri-Pulse and Bloomberg. Syngenta has said it will make an announcement about Chinese government approval when the company receives official documentation. The Swiss-based seed maker said on Friday it was expecting China to clear imports soon. Global grain handlers Cargill Inc [CARG.UL] and Archer Daniels Midland, along with dozens of U.S. farmers, have sued Syngenta over MIR 162. They claim the seedmaker misled the farm industry about the timeline for approval from China, a major buyer. (Reporting by Krista Hughes in Washington D.C., writing by Tom Polansek in Chicago)