BERLIN, Feb 17 (Reuters) – Bayer said on Tuesday that its Monsanto unit had filed a proposed U.S. class settlement totalling as much as $7.25 billion that was aimed at resolving current and future claims that its Roundup weedkiller caused Non‑Hodgkins lymphoma.
The German company said the proposed nationwide settlement, filed in the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis, Missouri, would establish a long‑term claims programme funded by capped annual payments over up to 21 years.
Bayer, which has been dogged by the Roundup claims for years after buying Monsanto, said it is separately preparing additional settlements covering existing U.S. Roundup cases worth about $3 billion.
The proposed settlement will cover the majority of cases pending in both U.S. state and federal courts. The proposal is slated to be filed before a judge in St. Louis, Missouri on Tuesday and will require approval by a judge.
The proposal includes a provision allowing people who can prove that they have been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins lymphoma and were exposed to Roundup before Tuesday to file claims to receive a portion of the settlement for up to 21 years.
Bayer expects its provisions and litigation liabilities to rise from 7.8 billion euros to 11.8 billion euros. It anticipates around 5 billion euros in litigation‑related payouts in 2026 and now expects negative free cash flow for the year.
The company has postponed publication of its 2025 results and 2026 guidance to March 4 to reflect the agreements.
(Reporting by Diana Jones and Kirsti Knolle; Writing by Linda Pasquini and Friederike Heine; Editing by Madeline Chambers and Alexander Smith)
