With the U.S. Department of Agriculture reporting that Chinese ownership of U.S. farmland increased from $81 million in 2010 to $1.8 billion in 2020, a Republican-led bill introduced on Dec. 8 by U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) would address related national security concerns.
“For years, Communist China has been strategically buying up U.S. farmland, including near military bases, threatening our food supply and our national security,” Rep. Hinson said. “This legislation will ensure we have a clear picture of Communist China’s plot to control U.S. land and strengthen our oversight of their malicious activity.”
The Agricultural Foreign Investment Transparency Act, H.R. 9483, introduced by U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and 11 original cosponsors, including Rep. Hinson, would increase oversight of such acquisitions and require the U.S. Agriculture Secretary to publicly disclose all new and existing Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act reports online, according to a bill summary provided by the members.
If enacted, H.R. 9483 aims to increase transparency for foreign land acquisition and help U.S. officials better understand the threat posed by Chinese efforts to control U.S. farmland, the summary says.
Among the GOP members who also signed on as original cosponsors of H.R. 9483 were U.S. Reps. Troy Balderson (R-OH), Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), and Tom Emmer (R-MN). The bill has been referred to the U.S. House Agriculture Committee for consideration.