According to a letter from CFIUS head Chris Pilkerton, the Committee will pilot a Strategic Vendor Program, a new initiative aimed at raising the profile of domestic vendors who have cleared the CFIUS process. The Committee is seeking feedback on areas of need. Details, letter are inside.
Last week, we noted that the House had approved an overhaul of federal agricultural policy, which included numerous national security provisions. But it lacked new restrictions on Chinese ownership of U.S. farmland, as some had proposed. A newly reintroduced bill would change that. Details inside.
At an industry event last week, head of CFIUS Chris Pilkerton emphasized points he’s made in other recent public forums. According to Pilkerton, the Committee is looking to “increase efficiencies and reduce administrative burdens,” and improve overall customer service. Details, full speech inside.
A Congressional leader has proposed legislation that would force CFIUS to look back nearly a decade, and review all foreign transactions involving real estate, businesses, critical infrastructure, or assets near the “nuclear triad.” The bill was triggered by a trailer park incident we covered last year. Details inside.
Last week, a pair of Democratic Senators sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, urging him to have CFIUS re-evaluate the Paramount-Warner Bros. deal. According to the lawmakers, the deal was structured to avoid triggering mandatory CFIUS review, but risks remain. Details inside.
At a recent fireside chat, Assistant Secretary for Investment Security Chris Pilkerton discussed CFIUS priorities, the outbound regime, and related topics. Pilkerton repeatedly emphasized the importance of reaching out to the Committee and engaging on transactions and more. Key points, video inside.
According to experts, CFIUS is now tolling transactions, and readers have told us that the partial government shutdown is impacting reviews. A few companies have even publicly disclosed that their transactions have been impacted. Details are inside, as is a quick survey gauging impact.
New CFIUS head Chris Pilkerton recently testified at a House Committee hearing that he’d be seeking feedback on the “Known Investor Program.” True to his word, that RFI is now out. But it actually seeks much broader input on streamlining the entire foreign investment review process. Details inside.
This may be the first CFIUS matter we’ve seen that involves a trailer park. A Missouri Congressman is urging the Committee to review several China-linked shell companies that allegedly purchased a mobile-home community adjacent to Whiteman Air Force Base, home to the B-2 Stealth Bomber.
It’s been seven years since FIRRMA was signed, and a group of national security experts says there is now enough data on “friction points” to make some very specific recommendations for improving CFIUS processes, making it more effective and efficient. Details, recommendation, and related report inside.
Over the last week, we’ve been inundated with inquiries from readers about what it means for CFIUS operations, national security reviews, and ongoing filings. Two repeated questions we keep hearing: What happens to new submissions, and how likely are approvals during the shutdown?
A bipartisan pair of Senators has floated a proposal that would direct the U.S. Trade Representative to prioritize North American alignment on foreign investment screening. The proposal would impact the upcoming joint review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Details, proposed solution inside.
Last week, the Senate Banking Committee held a confirmation hearing for Chris Pilkerton, who has been nominated to serve as the next Assistant Secretary of Investment Security at Treasury. Our readers predicted that Pilkerton would be confirmed by Dec. 5, so we may be ahead of schedule.
Two U.S. representatives proposed a bipartisan bill that would set a 100% tariff on strategic items from China, including critical minerals and dual-use goods. The bill would also require CFIUS to approve all foreign investments involving land or factory creation from adversarial nations. Details inside.
The latest CFIUS Report to Congress was just published, and the document raises more questions than it answers. Here’s one: If France has less than one-fifth the FDI inflows of the U.S., why did the French review more foreign investment transactions than CFIUS? Details, report and insights are inside.
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) has asked the General Accountability Office to conduct a “comprehensive review” of critical U.S. foreign investment regimes, including CFIUS and FOCI. Of particular interest to the Senator: Third-party monitors. Details and the actual letter are inside.
Last week, the House Appropriations Committee released the Fiscal Year 2026 bill for the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee. The total discretionary allocation was $23 billion, down 7.9% from the FY25 enacted discretionary appropriation. CFIIUS details and impact are inside.
Last week, President Trump ordered a review of the Nippon-U.S. Steel transaction, which Pres. Biden had prohibited at the end of his term. Experts say the “de novo” review (which means the Biden decision will have no bearing on the outcome) may be a first, with long-term implications for transaction parties.
Since we haven’t been able to find any hard data on potential nominees for the next Assistant Secretary for Investment Security, we did the next best thing: We asked GenAI. The results were surprising, with a host of interesting candidates based on criteria the models say the President Trump would himself use.
Last week, President Trump issued a sweeping national security memorandum that appears to transform CFIUS into a regime-specific entity. It also would “cease the use of overly bureaucratic, complex, and open-ended mitigation agreements.” Details and the memorandum are inside.