Last week, the European Union published its fifth annual report on foreign investment screening. Member states notified 477 investments into the FDI mechanism; the vast majority (92%) were closed within two weeks. Only 8% required in-depth security risk assessment. Details, report inside.
An international organization that promotes policies to improve economic growth has updated its FDI restrictiveness index, which compares policies across more than 100 economies. The report notes that FDI restrictions have eased over time, but the pace of liberalization is slowing down. Details, report inside.
A new 20-page report offers insights on how organizations are responding to national security compliance risks. The report found “critical gaps in both preparedness and alignment” on topics ranging from export controls and supply-chain security to fraud protection and sanctions. Details, report inside.
A nonpartisan think tank has published a report that outlines how China has been working to circumvent U.S. tariffs via transshipment programs, supply chain integration, and foreign direct investment. The authors note that the moves are legal, so will require coordination — a topic we covered last week.
A new 79-page report explains how the Chinese Communist Party has gained access to U.S. government-funded research. The report found a “pervasive and deeply troubling pattern” of research being conducted with entities tied to China’s defense industrial base. Details, report, data inside.
A massive new 278-page UN report notes, among other things, significant “regional disparities” in FDI screening globally. In Europe, for example, 78% of newly adopted investment policies seem to favor investors. In North America, 92% were less favorable to investors. Details, full report 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.
For the first time, a global law firm has provided extensive details on the non-notified transactions it has handled. The report covers topics such as the passage of time from transaction close to NNT inquiry, the number (and rounds) of questions from CFIUS, and more. Details and the report are inside.
A new study on state legislation provides independent data on more than 140 bills and actions from 6,700 state legislators related to regulation of foreign ownership of U.S. farmland. According to the study, only 63 percent of related bills came from legislators associated with the Republican party.
The Department of Homeland Security has published its annual Homeland Threat Analysis, which provides insights into the most “pressing threats” to the U.S. during the next fiscal year. The new report debuts a section called “Economic Espionage and Influence.” Details, report inside.
A new report shows how the Chinese defense industry has benefited from technological advances developed by U.S. funded researchers. Specifically, joint institutes between researchers in the U.S. and China have served as conduits for transferring critical technologies to China. Details, report inside.
Last week, CFIUS released its annual report to Congress. The report finally shined some light on the penalties issued by the Committee, and provided additional details on site visits and other compliance metrics. Lots of interesting data, and we’ve got highlights, experts insights, and the complete report.
According to a new report, Chinese investments in Europe dropped to the lowest levels since 2010, and the value of Chinese M&A fell 58% in 2023. China’s economic challenges and increased scrutiny of foreign investment into Europe certainly played a role. The outlier? Chinese greenfield investments.
A new report says that U.S. investment funds “generally avoid” sanctioned security issuers in China, but that they “struggle to steer fully clear” of them. At the same time, actively managed funds have relatively low exposure to sanctioned and blacklisted Chinese cos. Details, report inside.
A conservative think tank, The Heritage Foundation, has published a report that, among other things, criticizes current attempts to regulate foreign investment, and proposes model legislation that states can utilize to combat China’s “land grabs” of U.S. land. Details and the report are inside.
Last week, the GAO published a 49-page report that evaluated how CFIUS and members agencies monitor nearly 230 active mitigation agreements and enforce compliance. Apparently, there’s some work to be done. Details, current shortcomings, and recommendations are summarized inside.
A long-awaited report from the House Select Committee says that U.S. financial services firms facilitated investment of more than $6.5 billion to 63 Chinese companies that the U.S. government had red-flagged or blacklisted. The Committee is now recommending legislation to regulate that activity.
Last week, the China Select Committee completed an investigation that found five venture capital firms have invested billions into Chinese companies “that both created dangerous People’s Liberation Army weapon systems” and developed technologies for surveilling the population. Findings, report inside.
A new 50-page research report from the Bank of France may be one of the first to measure the restrictiveness of foreign investment regimes. The report also looks at economic impact; some of the most restrictive countries still remain the most attractive to foreign investors. Details inside.
A new report highlights several legal issues that could arise from proposals to “expand or create” new national security review mechanisms. Among them are due-process provisions that allow parties in a divestment order to see the information CFIUS used to make its decision. Details, report inside.