Trump Farmland Ban: Chinese Investment Restrictions
US to Ban Chinese Purchases of Farmland Near Military Bases Amid National Security Concerns
The Trump administration is moving to ban Chinese groups from buying farmland in the US, notably near military installations, citing escalating concerns over national security. The move comes as lawmakers and security officials express alarm over potential espionage and vulnerabilities in the US food supply chain.
US agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins announced on Tuesday that the administration will collaborate with state and local governments to enact “swift legislative and executive action” prohibiting land purchases by Chinese nationals and other foreign adversaries.
“American agriculture is not just about feeding our families, but about protecting our nation and standing up to foreign adversaries who are buying our farmland, stealing our research and creating risky vulnerabilities in the very systems that sustain us,” Rollins stated as she unveiled the National Farm Security Action Plan.
Defence secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking alongside Rollins, emphasized the specific threat posed by foreign ownership near strategic bases. “Foreign ownership of land near strategic bases and US military installations poses a serious threat to our national security,” he said.
The announcement follows increasing pressure from Capitol Hill and across the country regarding Chinese acquisitions of American farmland. The House China committee has been a vocal advocate for heightened scrutiny of these purchases,raising fears they could be used for espionage activities.John Moolenaar, the Republican chair of the House China committee, hailed the move as a “necessary step to protect both our agriculture and our sovereignty.” He added, “China’s pattern of buying up our farmland isn’t just an economic play – it’s a national security threat.We cannot allow China to buy US farms and jeopardise the food supply American families rely on. That threat becomes even more acute when those land purchases occur near military bases.”
To bolster oversight of foreign land acquisitions, Rollins will join the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (Cfius), the Treasury-led inter-agency panel responsible for reviewing foreign investments for national security risks. Lawmakers are pushing to expand Cfius’s authority to encompass a wider range of inbound investments.
The administration’s actions build on a precedent set in 2024, when President Joe Biden ordered a Chinese group operating a crypto-mining operation in Wyoming to sell its land due to its proximity to a base housing US nuclear ballistic missiles.This marked the first instance of Cfius forcing a foreign entity to divest American land.
Rollins affirmed the administration’s commitment to “claw back” land already purchased by Chinese and other adversarial groups.
According to 2023 department of Agriculture data, Chinese entities currently own 277,336 acres of American farmland, representing just under 1% of the total foreign-held acreage. These purchases are concentrated in Texas, North Carolina, Missouri, Utah, and Florida.
The increased scrutiny of Chinese-owned farmland is part of a broader trend of heightened vigilance regarding potential Chinese espionage activities within the US. Concerns extend beyond agricultural land to include technologies like Chinese wind turbines, which some officials believe could be used for electronic spying.
The US and its Five Eyes intelligence partners – Britain, Australia, Canada, and new Zealand – have recently issued public warnings regarding a range of Chinese investments that could facilitate espionage.
A request for comment from the Chinese embassy in Washington has been made.