Let’s just say we’ve seen this movie before. A Republican Senator has floated a bill that would add the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture as a permanent member of CFIUS, and would require that the Committee review agriculture real estate purchases. Details, and why this may be irrelevant, are inside.
Two weeks ago, we noted in our downloadable spreadsheet of CFIUS disclosures that the Committee was “apparently interested” in real-estate acquisitions by Fufeng Group in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Now, a group of U.S. Senators has crafted a letter making sure it’s a priority.
According to a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, foreign individuals and entities now own nearly 3 percent of all privately held U.S. agricultural land. That number is up significantly over the last decade. Details, implications, contacts, and the relevance to CFIUS are inside.
Several U.S. Congressmen have floated a bill that would prohibit foreign nationals from purchasing land in the U.S. While acknowledging CFIUS has jurisdiction over certain real estate deals, they say “more action is needed” to make the rules more strict. Details and context are inside.
Fresh on the heels of the FARM Act in early October, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators has floated yet another bill that would give the Secretary of Agriculture permanent representation on CFIUS. This particular bill has additional twists. Details and context are inside.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) has introduced legislation that would put Chinese “greenfield” initiatives under the purview of CFIUS. Kennedy, who floated a similar bill last year, says the move will prevent Beijing from “gaming our system.” Details, the legislation, and more are inside.
A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators and Representatives has floated yet another bill that would put the Secretary of Agriculture on CFIUS, and add agriculture-specific criteria to foreign investment reviews. Complete details, context, and a wrap-up of related prior efforts are inside.
Two U.S. Senators have sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, renewing a request to have CFIUS review the transactions of Brazilian meatpacking conglomerate JBS. Details, prior attempts, context, and the actual letter are inside.
For the second, no, third time, Congressional leaders have introduced legislation that would put the Secretary of Agriculture on CFIUS. Inside is an update on the legislation, the actual bill, the prior attempts, and insights on why it matters (or not).
A state rep. in America’s heartland has proposed a bill that would study foreign ownership of agricultural land. Citing shortcomings of federal regulations, the resolution raises interesting jurisdictional questions for CFIUS. Details, the bill, context, expert insights, contacts, and more are inside.
Following up on a House bill introduced last month, two U.S. Senators have introduced legislation that would formally place the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture as a member of CFIUS. Details, the full bill, the companion House bill, and recent historical context is inside.
Two Congressional leaders, from Ohio and Oklahoma, have proposed a bill that would place the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture on CFIUS. Details, the bill, context, contacts, and more are inside.