Representatives work across the aisle to introduce legislation: Protecting America’s Agricultural Land from Foreign Harm Act

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, May 16, 2023

WASHINGTON—Today, Representatives Dale. W Strong (R-AL-05) and Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07) introduced the “Protecting America’s Agricultural Land from Foreign Harm Act of 2023.” This bi-partisan legislation would prohibit the purchase or lease of U.S. agricultural land by individuals associated with the governments of China and other foreign adversaries.

Additionally, this legislation addresses gaps in the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act to ensure transparency and accurate reporting of foreign land ownership in the U.S. 

“The United States can no longer turn a blind eye to the threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party. As the CCP looks to exploit weaknesses in our free and open society, it is our responsibility to ensure that the American people are protected against those who seek to undermine our national interest. This legislation is crucial to ensure our adversaries do not interfere with our food and fiber market by owning agriculture land,” says Representative Dale W. Strong.

The United States currently lacks accurate data on foreign land ownership and investment due to loopholes and inaccurate reporting.

“We must be able to effectively monitor who is growing, producing, and marketing our food safety and agriculture products. Lacking that ability is a clear threat to national security,” says Rep. Strong.

The “Protecting America’s Agricultural Land from Foreign Harm Act” would also prohibit individuals associated with the governments of our foreign adversaries from participating in certain U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs. These restrictions do not apply to U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.  

Background:

There is currently identical legislation in the Senate. S. 926 was introduced by Senators Mike Braun (R-IN), Jon Tester (D-MT), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL).

In a March 16 hearing, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack testified that, as of 2021, 400,000 acres of U.S. farmland are owned by Iran, North Korea, China, and Russia. Additionally, USDA data shows that from 2010 to 2020, Chinese ownership of U.S farmland has increased from $81M to $1.8B.